


Professor What? Book One: The Old New Days

by troubleonelmstreet



Series: Professor What? [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Ambiguous Relationships, Angst, Asexuality, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Character Development, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Loss, Mostly Canon Compliant, Other, Slow Romance, Trauma, Unconventional Relationship, original adventures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-06-22 17:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 78,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15587010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/troubleonelmstreet/pseuds/troubleonelmstreet
Summary: What is the Shadow Proclamation? How does a sonic screwdriver work? Who decided mauve looks dangerous? Does the TARDIS have a manual? What does it mean to be a Time Lord? Professor Elm Smith has loads of questions and, hopefully, the Doctor has some answers.Seasons 1-9 of NuWho rewritten with original character and chapters. First in the Professor What? Series. (9-12/OC).





	1. Rose and Elm

**Author's Note:**

> Not Brit-picked.

**Part One: A Series of Questions**

Alternate title: How can plastic be alive?

Elm wanted to sleep for a century or two. The students from her morning class had been especially slow in their comprehension of the day’s subject. Her afternoon class was marginally better, but that didn’t decrease the number of papers she had to grade. She wasn’t sure who suffered more when she assigned essays, the students or her.

With a sigh, she pulled her checkered scarf down from her mouth to answer her obnoxious cell, the default ringer having not been changed on the relatively new phone. She would have to do that soon.

“Hello?”

“Elm?” Her friend’s voice was hushed as if she were sneaking the call. Knowing Rose, she probably was. “Something came up, and I’m staying ‘till closing. Don’t bother waiting.”

The young woman paused her brisk walk and glanced at the back door to Henriks. Her feet were sore and now she had to loop back to her apartment for no reason. Great. “...okay. I’ll just head home then. You owe me at least one basket of fries, though.”

Rose laughed. “Chips, they’re called chips. Do you want to go for lunch tomorrow? You cover the drinks, and I’ll cover the chips?”

“I don’t remember this being a bargain,” Elm hummed. “But that works.” Her phone beeped. “My phone's almost dead, I’ll call you in the morning.”

“Alright. See ya.”

“Bye.”

Elm stuffed her phone back into the pocket of her brown slacks before pulling up her scarf again. What she needed was a cider. A warm cider and a warm bed. The quicker she got home, the better.

Turning sharply on her heel, she nearly ran into someone.

“Oh, hello! Blimey, you’ve got a lot of hair.” Elm froze when she felt a hand pat her short, voluminous curls. She took a tiny step back.

The man before her was tall and wide, though not in an overweight way in any sense of the word. He was muscular and military looking, with a cleanly shaved head and a leather jacket. Despite his intimidating figure, his eyes were warm. Warm and honest and oddly old for someone who couldn’t be over 45.

“Hello?” she said, her voice wavering slightly.

“Hello,” the man repeated, smiling widely to reveal pearly, straight teeth. “Say, how about me? I think I’m bald.”

Peering up at the man with more than a little confusion, Elm shook her head. “No. It’s just buzzed, all the way to the scalp. You could probably grow it out if you wanted.”

“Ah. That explains it. Anyway, I’ve got to get going, work to do and all that,” he pointed to Henriks before holding up a small device. Elm leaned in to get a closer look at the strange looking box, but the man shoved it into his pocket before she could. “Before I go though, could I get your name?”

Figuring it couldn’t hurt, given how ordinary it was, she responded honestly. “Elm Smith. And you?”

“The Doctor. It’s been a pleasure, Elm Smith.” They exchanged smiles, she a tiny quirk of the lips and him a large and toothy grin, before separating and continuing on their ways. Elm never got her cider, however, as she passed out in bed as soon as she got home.

OoOoOoO

The next morning Elm woke to a curtain of hair and a stuffy nose. Sniffling, she slipped on some cozy pants and dismayed over her empty coffee pot. Usually, it would be pre-set to be full in the morning, though she obviously forgot to do that the previous night. Her phone sat on the counter next to the pot, completely out of battery.

Grumbling to herself, she made do with a cup of water and settled on the couch. At least the morning news wouldn’t fail her.

“-and a body was found in Henriks today as the police search the premises for the cause of the explosion. It has yet to be identified-"

Elm shot up from the couch like a rocket. Rushing through her morning routine, she pulled on some pants and a random sweater before running out the door with her coat only half on.

Given that it was the only form of exercise Elm could stand, she wasn’t unused to running. The morning air burned her lungs as adrenaline washed all traces of sleep away. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Rose. One block too far later Elm reached the Powell Estate. She skipped the lift, taking the stairs two at a time until she finally (finally) got to the Tyler's apartment. She used her key.

“Rosie?!” she called, slamming the door behind her as she raced to the living room. Rose was sitting on the couch in one piece, looking rather startled as Elm collapsed on top of her. “You’re okay. You’re okay.”

Jackie, who was getting up from a nearby arm-chair, sighed. “Poor dear. Must have seen the morning news.”

“Your job blew up, Rose. Henriks is gone.”

“Yeah, I know,” Rose said, patting her friend’s unruly bed-head. “I called, but you didn’t pick up.”

“My phone’s dead,” Elm muttered into Rose’s stomach as she slowed her breathing and rapid heart. Rolling off her friend, she stared at the ceiling as the adrenaline left her. “I didn’t even get a coffee.”

Rose laughed. “Was that supposed to be subtle?”

“Not at all,” Elm responded with a grin. “Have I ever mentioned how grateful I am that you’re alive? Because I am very grateful.”

“Yeah, yeah, enough with the compliments, I’ll get you a cup,” Rose said. A sudden rattle at the door made her groan as she stood. “Mum said she nailed that down!” She rolled her eyes. “We’re going to get strays, I keep telling her.”

“I’ll investigate,” Elm said. Standing on wobbly legs, she moved down the hall toward the front door. Screws lay on the ground right in front of it. “Those definitely weren’t there before,” she muttered to herself as she crouched down to pick them up. Just as she was about to grab the last screw, the flap moved. Elm fell backward with a start, barely holding in a yelp. Tucking the screws into her pocket, she crawled toward the flap and cautiously poked it through, revealing a man looking through the other side. She stared at him blankly. “You’re not a cat.”

“Neither are you,” the man rebutted.

“Well, this door is for cats, not people.”

The man quirked a brow. “That’s discrimination.”

“The door is for people,” Elm said as she stood. She pulled it open with ease. “See?” It was then she recognized him. “Wait, you’re the bloke from last night. Doctor… something?”

“Just the Doctor,” he said with a warm smile. He was wearing the exact same outfit as the previous day. “And you are Elm Smith.”

“Spot on!”

“Elm, what-” Rose froze as she rounded out of the kitchen, holding two mugs. Her eyes widened when she saw the man, the Doctor, standing on the other side of the door. “What are you doing here?”

The Doctor tilted his head. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here,” Rose responded, her face twisting into a frown.

“Why would you do that?”

The young woman scoffed. “‘Cause I do.”

“You two wouldn’t happen to be plastic, would you?” the Doctor asked, rapping his knuckles on Elm’s head and then Rose’s. “Nope. Boneheads. I’ll just be going then-” Rose cut him off as she, in one fluid motion, shoved the mugs into Elm’s hands and grabbed the Doctor’s jacket. One moment later he was inside the apartment being dragged toward the living room. Elm watched their retreating forms with interest.

“I’m going to get some coffee for the Doctor, Elm. You mind setting mine by my chair?” Rose called from the kitchen.

Elm nodded before realizing Rose couldn’t see her. “Oh. Yeah, sure. Thank you for the cup, by the way,” Elm shut the door with her foot and drank the top from her cup as she left the hall.

The Doctor observed her as she set Rose’s cup down. He was messing around with a deck of cards. “You live here too?”

“No.”

“Why’re you here then?”

“Rose’s job blew up, and I was worried.” Elm’s eyes narrowed. “Weren’t you there last night? Did you see what happened?”

Rose shouted from the kitchen, but something using the cat door and scuttling into the living room distracted Elm and the Doctor. They made eye contact, exchanging curious looks.

The Doctor peeked over the couch. "Do they own a cat?"

"Not for awhile," Elm whispered, getting close to peer over as well. The Doctor nearly ran into her as he jerked back, a plastic hand wrapped around his neck.

It was then that Rose decided to enter the room. She frowned when she saw the arm. "I told Mickey to chuck that out. Anyway, I don't know your name. Doctor what?"

As Rose spoke Elm lunged forward and grabbed the arm, jerking it back with all her strength. It didn't budge.

"You too Elm? Really?"

Finally, the arm released the Doctor, sending Elm flying back with it in hand. As she hit the ground, it grabbed her face and began to squeeze, pressing her nose down painfully. The situation was flipped on its head as suddenly the Doctor was trying to pull it off of her. Elm crashed backward into the coffee table, tripping over it and landing on her back. She heard a buzzing noise as the hand released her, and she was suddenly able to breathe again.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Rose fretted, helping Elm off the ground as the Doctor examined the hand. “Doctor what’s going-” she cut herself off with a gasp as Elm felt something drip down her nose. “You’re bleeding!”

Elm pinched the bridge of her nose and tilted her head back, holding her other hand under her chin to catch any stray drops. “It’s fine. ‘Cuse me.” She stumbled out of the room and into the bathroom to grab some toilet paper.

Her nose didn’t actually bleed that long, but the sink was stained red by the time it stopped. The other day a kid nailed her in the face with a ball, and the hand thing must have re-opened the clot. Once she was sure it was done, she carefully rinsed off her face and hands.

The apartment was empty when she exited the bathroom and Elm was drained, so she rinsed her cup and left, locking the door behind her.

OoOoOoO

To her immense surprise, she spotted the Doctor on her way home.

"Do you have a habit of showing up and leaving abruptly?" she asked as soon as she caught up with him.

The Doctor started when he heard her voice, stopping in his tracks to turn and face her. "Your nose alright? Looks a little upward."

Elm made a face. "It's always a little upward."

"Fair enough, then. Why're you following me?"

"I wasn't following you," she said in retaliation, stuffing her hands into her coat pockets. "I was on my way home and I spotted you. Thought I'd come over and say hello."

He looked her up and down before turning around to leave. "Hello then. And goodbye."

"No, wait!" Elm called, catching up with him. He continued walking and she matched his stride. "I have a few questions."

"I don't know if I have the answers."

"You might just," she looked up at his face. "You call yourself the Doctor."

"Yeah?"

"As in medical or…"

He shrugged. "Of a lot of things."

"And it's just the Doctor?" Elm asked. "No name attached?"

"Just the Doctor."

"Huh," she ran a hand through her hair in an attempt to sort it out. Though a valiant effort, it didn't do much. "Okay, there's question one. Question two," she held up two fingers, "just what is that hand?"

"What it looks like," he tossed it around. "Plastic."

Elm grumbled and leaned closer, tapping it herself before giving him a frown. "Yes but no. That's not-it tried to strangle you and then it tried to crush my head."

"Yeah, and?"

"Yeah and that's fascinating," she burst before amending. "And terrifying. Very scary and sorta like a horror movie, but still, fascinating."

The Doctor gave her a perplexed look. "Fascinating? It tried to kill you. You should be running in the other direction."

"But it shouldn't be doing that! Is it like a robot or a prosthetic? If it were just plastic, it shouldn't be moving on its own but it obviously is so there's something else," she rambled. As she spoke she grabbed it from him and started tapping it. "Feels like regular plastic and it's not nearly heavy enough to have any robotics in it, so what is it?"

The Doctor grabbed the arm back. "What makes you think I know what it is?" he scoffed.

"You act like you know what it is."

He pursed his lips and considered her in his peripheral. Her steps were wide and her shoulders stayed back. Despite that adult confidence she displayed, there was a childlike curiosity and wonder in her face as her gaze constantly moved from him to the plastic to the scenery. The Doctor could almost hear her thinking. Letting out a sigh, he relented. "Living plastic."

"What?"

"Living plastic," he repeated stopping and bringing the hand to eye level. "Well, more accurately, controlled plastic. I'm trying to track the source."

Elm's eyes narrowed in thought. "With the hand."

"It would be easier with a head."

She connected the dots quickly. "So you're using the hand, to track the head, to track the source. And then what?"

He shrugged. "I haven't got there yet."

"Okay, haven't got a plan. That's fine," she said before pursing her lips. "No, that's not fine because how are you going to use the hand? It's not like it has a port or anything."

The Doctor got a look that spelled trouble as they approached a blue box. Elm was surprised she hadn't noticed it before, seeing how out of place it looked. Taking a key out of his pocket, he gave Elm a smile. "Would you like to see?

OoOoOoO

"-but what I really need is a head. A nice head, like I said before. Good for transmissions and, in this case, tracing back transmissions. Are you still following?"

Elm was standing in the doorway of the blue box that was most certainly not just a blue box. On the inside, it was a gigantic, organic ship looking thing that glowed in the center. Most definitely not a calling station or whatever it claimed on the front.

"Sure," she replied faintly, eyes wide. "Is it like a spaceship or a base? On the outside, it's all boxy and small but on the inside, it's round-y and large. I've read a few books with bigger-on-the-inside things, but usually they're just dimensional pockets or something like that. This is so beyond pockets. It's so… rad! Does it have a name?"

The Doctor leaned against the console with a smug grin. "TARDIS. She's called the TARDIS."

"She... so it is a ship!" Elm exclaimed. "Ships are always women. So are natural disasters, oddly enough. Is that an acronym or?"

"Time and Relative Dimension in Space. T-A-R-D-I-S."

"Whoa," she said as she completely spaced out, looking around and touching things. Movement snapped her out of her trance, however, and she straightened. "Sorry. Sorry. Uh, continue. Living plastic."

"It's fine. It's always a shock. As for the plastic, you heard about the explosion right?"

"Yep. Saw it on the news."

"That was me," he said before quickly adding. "There was a transmitter on the roof that had to be destroyed. No one got hurt besides, well, the dummies."

Elm bit her lip. "But there was a body-"

"He was already dead. Killed by the plastic," he cut in. "The transmitters were built by a being called the Nestene Consciousness. Its’ breeding planet must have been destroyed. That transmitter was only one of many, but if I can find the main one the Consciousness has to be nearby, and then I can stop it."

"Is it trying to take over or something?"

"Basically, yeah."

Her eyes narrowed in thought as the pieces started to put themselves together. Rose must have met the Doctor when he was blowing up Henriks. There was still one thing that didn't make sense to her, though. "How do you know about all this? The Consciousness. How to use this ship."

"That's 'cause it's mine," he said, looking her straight on. "This ship, she's mine."

"But it's not human."

"No, it's not."

"Are you-" Elm gaped for a moment before slamming her mouth closed. "You're alien? An extraterrestrial? From some other planet?"

The Doctor nodded, his body tense. "Yes."

A smile cut across her face. "Oh hello! Does your species have its own name? You look human, so are you different internally or-or are you a shapeshifter or something like that?" She cut herself off, her face flushing. "Oh wow, that was rude. Sorry. Very very sorry." Her eyes got a little misty and she rubbed at them but her smile never dropped. "Sorry. Just-this is fantastic!" A laugh bubbled out of her, which just made the tears come out more. "God I'm a mess."

"You alright?" the Doctor took a step toward her, looking lost.

Elm grabbed his hand and shook it rapidly, wiping her eyes with her free arm. "I'm fine. It's just very nice to meet you."

OoOoOoO

"And what does that panel do?"

"It's partially psychic," the Doctor explained as he hooked up the hand to the console. "The hand only has a small psychic footprint, but it's just enough to find a similar signal." The Doctor stared at the monitor for only a moment before he grinned. “Got you!”

Elm walked around and peered at the screen the Doctor was looking at. She frowned at the circular script. "Is that your language?"

"Yep," he answered, running around the console to flip some switches. "Hold on!" He started pulling something that looked like a lawnmower start-up. "This might get a little bumpy."

The tube at the center of the console began moving up and down, lighting up brighter than it was before. The entire ship seemed to wheeze with effort before all noise ceased with a large thud. Elm released the railing from her vice-like grip. "Did we just fly?"

"Materialized," the Doctor called, walking toward the door before holding it open for her. "Shall we?"

Elm let out a laugh and ran out the door, looking around in awe at the different location. What used to be an vacant lot had changed into an isolated back alley. The Doctor joined her after a moment, closing the TARDIS door behind him. "That is so nifty! Are you ever late?"

"Nope, my timing is impeccable," the Doctor bragged, taking a little wand thing from his pocket and pointing it at a backdoor. It clicked open.

"What was that?"

"Come on then."

"You flash some cool piece of alien tech and then act like it's nothing!" Elm complained, following after him. The door led to an Italian kitchen and the young woman's stomach growled at the prospect of food. Had she eaten yet? Regardless, the cooks hardly noticed them as they carefully walked through to the dining room. "Are we having lunch? I thought we were looking for the head."

The Doctor scanned the restaurant before pointing. "Hey look, it's your friend Rose. Why don't you go sit with her while I order."

"I think this restaurant has tableside-" the alien-man was already gone, the doors to the kitchen swinging shut behind him. Despite her head telling her to follow after him, Elm made her way to the table as she was told. There was a large pizza waiting for her there, and she was too hungry to not snatch a slice. "Rose, Mickey, hiya."

Rose seemed startled to see her. "Elm! You disappeared earlier, where did you go?"

"I left for home," she answered honestly, folding the slice she grabbed and taking a large bite out of it. "Den I aw thle door frm-"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Rose cut in. "It's disgusting."

Elm stuck out her tongue at her friend playfully but did as she bid, chewing slowly.

"Rose," Mickey said, pulling both of their attention to him. Elm noted that there was something weird about his smile. "You were telling me about the Doctor."

"I don't want to talk about him right now Micks," Rose said. Elm took another large bite of her pizza slice, intrigued.

"You can trust me babe, sweetheart, honey," Mickey's voice sounded like a broken record, skipping between words.

"Ma'am, your champagne," Elm looked up and was surprised to see the Doctor standing by their table, holding a bottle.

"Dotoh," she attempted, but the look she got from Rose shut her up.

"Quit that," she said before her eyes drew back to Mickey. Neither of them seemed to notice that the object of their conversation was standing just next to the table. "It's not ours. Mickey, is something wrong?"

"Sir, your champagne," the Doctor tried again, this time to Mickey. The young man sighed and looked up to turn him away, eyes widening when he saw who it was. Elm frowned when he stood.

"Ah. Gotcha."

"Doctor?" Elm questioned, swallowing and taking a step back from the table. Rose followed after her as the Doctor aggressively shook the bottle he was just trying to serve.

The Doctor grinned. "Don't mind me. Just toasting the happy couple. On the house!" Before anyone had any time to react, he released the cork, letting it fly and hit Mickey on the forehead. Both of the young women gasped when his skin absorbed it and he spat it right back out.

"Anyway," Mickey lifted up his hand and it transformed before their eyes into something board shaped. Slamming it down, he broke the table in half.

Rose screamed.

Pulling her friend behind her, Elm retreated behind the bar. From there, they both watched in horror as the Doctor pulled Mickey's head off with a loud pop. Like a headless chicken, his body kept destroying things. Someone pulled the fire alarm.

"Everybody out! Run!" Rose shouted, pulling Elm now as the Doctor rushed past them through the kitchens. Mickey's body pursued them, wrecking everything it got close to. Elm spotted the exit first and dragged Rose on ahead of the Doctor. They spun around just in time to see him seal the exit with his wand thing.

The body kept pounding at the door, trying to get through. Keeping hold of Elm's hand, Rose ran to the gate at the end of the alley. "Open the gate with that tube thing! Come on!"

"Sonic screwdriver," the Doctor corrected, leisurely walking up to and unlocking the TARDIS.

"Oh, so you'll tell her," Elm complained, pulling her hand from Rose’s and going to the TARDIS as well. "Come on Rose!"

Rose began pounding on the gate. "What are you two doing?!"

"Let's just go in here," the Doctor said, using his key to open the door of the machine before entering, Elm just behind him.

"It's just a wooden box!"

Elm hovered just inside the door, waiting for her friend to enter. When she finally did, she pulled the door shut behind her. "Will the doors hold Doctor?"

"The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door," the Doctor responded smugly, attaching the head to the psychic center of the console. "And believe me, they've tried."

Rose suddenly raced back out of the TARDIS. Elm went to go after her, but the young woman raced right back in no time, closing the door behind her. "The inside is bigger than the outside."

"Yes," the Doctor said, turning away from the console and toward her. Elm took a step back to stand by one of the coral struts.

"It's alien."

"Yeah."

"Are you alien?"

"Yes. Is that alright?"

"Yeah."

The Doctor looked around. "It's called the TARDIS, this thing, T-A-R-D-I-S. That's Time and Relative Dimension in Space if you were wondering." Rose burst into tears and the Doctor took a step forward. "That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us."

Elm took a step toward her friend as well, giving her a large hug. "Sorry I didn't tell you earlier. Well, I tried but-"

Rose pulled back from the hug. "What about Mickey. Did they kill him? Did they kill Mickey?"

"Did they Doctor? It was a good copy of him, but was it a copy or did they turn him into plastic?" Elm questioned, approaching the console and giving the attached head a poke. "How and why did they get him in the first place though, that's the question. Have they done this to anyone else?"

"I don't think so. They probably did it to him because he was close to her and they knew she knew about me."

"But how did-"

"Shut it!" Rose exclaimed, glaring at the two. "He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head and now you're just going to let him melt?"

"Melt?" Spinning around, the Doctor ran toward the console as Mickey's plastic head began to melt. "Oh, no! No, no, no, no!"

"Sorry, I went off, didn't I?" Elm bit her lip.

"A bit. You know Mickey, though. Aren't you concerned?"

"Of course I am! I just need to focus on other things right now, and I'm not convinced he's dead."

Rose looked skeptical but nodded. "What's he doing?"

Elm turned toward the console.

"Following the signal. It's fading." The Doctor ran to pull something. "Wait just a minute. I've got it! No, no, almost there! Here we go!"

The TARDIS wheezed before landing with a thud. The Doctor started toward the door as soon as it stabilized. Rose shouted an objection as he pulled it open. "It's dangerous!"

Glad for the slight distraction from the potential death of her friend, Elm walked out after the man, leaving Rose to follow eventually. They were just next to the Thames and night had fallen, the light from the city glittering on the surface of the water.

"I lost the signal. I got so close," the Doctor said, pacing.

"We've moved," Rose took a look around the TARDIS. "Does it fly?"

Elm patted the box with a large smile. "Materializes like a teleport but with an entire ship! Isn't it neat?"

"But what about the headless thing?" Rose injected, ignoring Elm as she began studying the box and muttering under her breath. "If we're here, it's still on the loose."

The Doctor shook his head. "It melted with the head. Are you going to witter on all night?"

Elm's head snapped up and she took a bashful step back. "Sorry."

"Not you."

"I'm going to have to tell his mother," Rose whispered. "I'm going to have to tell his mum that he's dead."

"There you are again with the worst-case scenarios. I've read plenty of things where people were cloned and the original host-" Elm began.

"That was all fiction! And look at him!" Rose shouted, pointing at the Doctor. "He went and forgot about Mickey. Again!"

"Look, if I did forget some kid called Mickey-"

"Yeah, and he's not a kid."

"-it's because I'm trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this planet, alright?"

Rose froze and blinked. "Alright."

"Yes, it is!"

The Doctor crossed his arms and Rose mimicked him. Elm looked back and forth between her friend and the alien-man. "Um-"

"If you're an alien, how come you sound like you're from the North?" Rose suddenly questioned, cutting off Elm.

The Doctor shrugged. "Lots of planets have a North."

"And what's a police public call box?"

"It's a telephone box from the 1950s," the Doctor said with a grin, rubbing the side of it. "It's a disguise."

Elm knocked on the side of the ship. "I have to question how that's a disguise. Does it always look like that? Even on alien planets?"

"Its chameleon circuit broke a while back, it's been like this ever since."

"Well, it's charming at least."

"Thank you."

"What about this living plastic?" Rose asked. "What's it got against us?"

"Earlier you were talking about a breeding planet being lost. How is the earth good for that?" Elm added.

The Doctor tapped his food. "The earth has plenty of what it needs to reproduce. Smoke, oil, toxins, and dioxins. The only problem is, it's already occupied."

"There's no way for it to live here without destroying us?" Elm questioned. "I mean, we cohabit the Earth with lots of other creatures."

"Nice thought, but no. The Nestene would encourage pollution, which would just end in the Earth suffocating."

Rose furrowed her eyebrows. "Any way of stopping it?"

The Doctor held up a tube of blue liquid. "Anti-plastic."

"Anti-plastic," Rose repeated

"You carry anti-plastic around with you?" Elm asked incredulously.

"Of course not," he scoffed, "I grabbed it when I identified the Nestene. I've got to find it first, though. How can you hide something so big in such a small city?"

"Hold on, hide what?" Rose questioned.

"The transmitter. The Nestene Consciousness is controlling every piece of plastic, so it needs a boost."

Elm looked around before her eyes locked onto the London Eye. "Is it like a regular transmitter?"

"Yeah. Large, though. Huge. It must be invisible."

Rose and Elm exchanged a look. "Metal?"

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, frowning when he saw their attention elsewhere. He turned around to see but just ended up more confused. "What?" He turned 'round again. "What?" And once more. "What is it?" And then the penny dropped. "Oh. Oh." A wide grin split his face. "Fantastic!"

OoOoOoO

Following the Doctor, Rose and Elm raced across Westminster Bridge to the other side of the Thames. The London Eye loomed over them, the implications of what it was being used for making it look a lot more threatening than it actually was.

"Think of it," the Doctor said as he ran, "plastic all over the world, every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, phones, wires, cables."

"Breast implants."

"Toys."

"But we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath," the Doctor said, halting at the end of the bridge. "Somewhere-"

Immediately Rose rushed to the edge and spotted a manhole. "Like down there?"

"Looks good to me."

They had to circle around the bridge to get down to the manhole, but there were no fences or gates blocking the area. Once reaching the manhole, the Doctor pulled the lid off and set it aside. An eerie red light shone from below. He wasted no time in descending.

"Rose."

She was already starting down the manhole when Elm said her name. Their eyes met. "Yeah?"

Elm bit her lip and crouched down next to the manhole. "This could be dangerous. We could die."

Rose's mouth quirked up into a shadow of a smile. "What happened to not thinking of the worst-case scenario?"

A laugh bubbled out of Elm, startling her out of her solum thoughts. "Oops."

"You coming?"

"Ladies first. I don't think I could fit around you."

"Oi!"

Elm snorted and watched Rose descend. She was scared. Really and truly scared. But there was no room for being cowardly here. After everything she had seen, everything she had learned, she couldn't not risk it.

Her booted foot hit a puddle once she got down the ladder. The room below was very industrial, probably used for something sewer related. There was something about the smell though that Elm couldn't place. The trio crept through a large doorway into a larger, multi-level chamber with lots of grating. At the very bottom, there was a large vat full of a dull, moving substance.

"The Nestene Consciousness," the Doctor said, pointing. "That's it. A living plastic creature."

Elm scrunched up her nose. "That's what that smell is. Burning plastic."

"Tip your anti-plastic in and let's go," Rose urged, taking a step away from the railing.

"Wait," Elm butted in before the Doctor could reply. "Nestene Consciousness. As in it is conscious, alive. You said it couldn't stay here, but maybe you could convince it to move? There's got to be more planets like this one."

The Doctor nodded. "There's a slim chance, and I've got to give it at least that."

Without further ado, the Doctor descended to the catwalk overlooking the vat. He held himself tall. "I seek an audience with the Nestene Consciousness under a peaceful contract according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation."

‘Shadow Proclamation,’ Elm mouthed with a thoughtful look.

The being in the vat flexed and let out a low groaning sound that must have been positive, as the Doctor grinned. “Thank you. If I might have permission to approach?”

Rose, completely disregarding the formality that the Doctor was displaying, ran down past him and the vat to the other side of the chamber to a quivering, crouching figure. Once Rose reached the person, it became obvious who it was. “Oh god, Mickey!” Rose exclaimed, putting her hands on her boyfriend’s cheeks. “You’re okay!”

Elm made to follow her friend, but growling from the creature made her pause.

“Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to keep up the copy,” the Doctor said flippantly.

“You knew and you never said?” Rose shouted.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and continued to approach the vat. “Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you? Am I addressing the Consciousness?” The being in the vat moved. “Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp technology. So, may I suggest with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?”

Elm nearly fell over in surprise and had to grip the railing harder just to remain standing. What happened to diplomacy?

The vat creature apparently felt the same, as it roared in displeasure, causing all the humans in the facility to flinch.

“Don’t give me that,” the Doctor snapped. “It’s an invasion, plain and simple. Don’t talk about constitutional rights.” The creature made another noise in response as Elm began creeping around the Doctor. “I am talking! This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learned how to walk, but they are capable of so much more. I’m asking on their behalf, please, just go.”

Elm stumbled the last few feet to her friends, accepting a hug from Rose as the Doctor was restrained by two shop window dummies. In his struggle to get away from them, one of them managed to get it’s hand into his pocket, revealing the vial of anti-plastic. The Consciousness roared.

“That was just insurance!” the Doctor insisted. “I wasn’t going to use it. I'm here to help. I am not your enemy. I swear, I’m not.” The Consciousness mumbled something else. “What do you mean?”

Behind the humans, a door slid away to reveal the TARDIS.

“No. Oh no. Honestly, no.” the Doctor frowned at what it said next. “Yes, that’s my ship.” His expression shifted to horror as the being in the vat growled louder. The Doctor struggled against his captors. “That’s not true. I should know, I was there! I fought in the war. It wasn’t my fault. I couldn’t save your world! I couldn’t save any of them!”

The being roared once more and the grating beneath all of their feet shook. Mickey clung to Rose’s leg tighter in response and shrieked. “What’s it doing?!”

“It’s the TARDIS!” the Doctor explained. “The Nestene has identified it as superior technology. It’s terrified. It’s starting the invasion,” he looked directly at where the humans were standing. “Get out! Just leg it!”

Rose fumbled with her phone as Elm’s mind went white with panic. She looked out frantically for a solution. Any solution. “The ladder’s gone, Doctor! We can’t!”

“Mum!” Rose exclaimed once she got her phone working. “Are you alright?!”

The Doctor looked up, eyes wide. “It’s activating the signal!”

Electricity filled the air, making Elm’s already frizzy hair stand on end. It was like being in a thunderstorm just before a lightning strike. Bolts of electricity started to shoot out of the vat, hitting at seemingly random patterns and barely missing the humans.

“It’s the end of the world.” Rose pulled Mickey back away from the vat to the TARDIS. She struggled with the door, trying the handle before jerking it wildly. Mickey tried as well but found it to be a wasted effort. They didn't have the key.

Meanwhile, Elm watched in horror as the mannequins began to push the Doctor toward the vat of molten plastic. Without a second thought, she raced down a level to him and grabbed the arm of one of the plastic men, wrestling it away from the Doctor.

“What are you doing?!” the Doctor shouted above all the noise, struggling harder now that he only had one captor. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

Elm huffed as she dodged a blow from the dummy. “There aren’t many other alternatives, Doctor!” Luck granted her one advantage; she caught hold of one of the dummy’s arms. “Sorry about this!” Gritting her teeth, she pulled with all her strength and the mannequin’s arm came out of its socket with a pop. She then proceeded to hit the dummy with its own arm, apologizing every time it connected. “Sorry. Really sorry.”

A shout from above startled her out of her fight. “Duck!” Rose swung overhead on a chain, legs outstretched. On her first swing, she kicked the dummy that Elm was fighting, making it to fall down over the railing. On her second swing, she nailed the one holding the anti-plastic. The substance went flying down into the vat, causing the Consciousness to scream.

“Rose!” Elm shouted as her friend came swinging back to her. She tossed the arm to the side as together she and the Doctor stopped Rose’s momentum. She hugged her friend. “Excellent shot!”

Rose laughed. “Couldn’t let you have all the fun.”

“Yeah, but we’re in trouble now,” the Doctor cut in as the underground facility shook, causing some of the machinery to explode. The Consciousness roared in pain beneath them as the alien man took both of their hands. “Run!”

OoOoOoO

The TARDIS landed near a series of garages, and Mickey wasted no time getting out of the ship. Initially when they were escaping he started panicking and tried to get out mid-flight, an effort Rose only just managed to stop. Said young woman was on the phone with her mum, confirming her safety. Elm, however, found herself shivering with energy. It was a surreal experience, almost dying. She felt like running away and jumping for joy at the same time.

“We saved the world!” she shouted with a whoop. Being close to him, she jumped the Doctor and gave him a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek. She wasn’t bashful at all as she released the alien man to give Rose the same treatment.

“Nestene Consciousness?” the Doctor snapped his fingers. “Easy.”

“You were useless in there,” Rose pointed out as Elm released her. “You’d be dead if it weren’t for me.”

“Or me,” Elm chipped in.

“Yes, I would. Thank you,” the Doctor responded. For an awkward moment, they all stood still, waiting for someone to speak. The Doctor broke the silence with a cough. “Right then,” he began, leaning against the TARDIS’s doorway. Now that that’s out-of-the-way, I’ll be off.”

“Wait,” Elm cut in, taking a step toward the strange man and his box. “I still have questions.”

The Doctor frowned. “What questions?”

“What’s the Shadow Proclamation? Is it a sort of space law? If so, are there even more species out there? Should we expect more aliens? How does your sonic screwdriver work?" Elm paused and took a breath, a blush forming on her cheeks. "To name a few."

"I could show you," the Doctor said in response, expression calm. "I could show you different planets and species instead of telling you about them. They say learning is best done through experience and the universe is at my fingertips in the TARDIS. I can't guarantee the questions will ever stop, but you could come with me."

Elm froze. "Come with you?"

"If you want."

"Is it always this dangerous?" she questioned, glancing back at Rose before turning her attention to the Doctor.

He shrugged. "Sometimes more, sometimes less. It's a lottery."

"Don't. He's an alien, a thing," Mickey exclaimed, clinging to Rose's waist. "You've only just met him."

"But… space!” Elm retorted. She got a distant look she gazed up at the sky. “If I say no, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. It’s not like I’ve got anyone to worry about anywho.” She glanced Rose’s way. “Rose-”

"You go," Rose cut in, her voice shaking. "You go, and I'll call the school for you. Tell them you're taking a vacation."

The Doctor turned his attention to her. "You could come along too, Rose Tyler. There's plenty space."

Frowning, Rose shook her head. "Unlike Elm, I've got this lump and my mum to take care of. I can't go running off."

Elm's eyes misted over as she gave Rose one last hug. "I'll miss you. So much."

"Be sure to visit; you hear me?" Rose demanded, sniffing her nose.

"Of course. I love you." And without another word Elm turned and entered the ship, not once looking back. The Doctor entered behind her, closing the door. He approached the console and flipped a few switches.

"We're in the Vortex. Figured you could do with a kip before we go anywhere."

"Yeah," Elm felt it then, how tired she was. Her eyelids pulled down and her legs wanted to give up. "Probably for the best."

"You and Rose," the Doctor began, looking curious. "You’re pretty close.”

Elm nodded. "She’s my best friend. I don’t know what I would do without her and Jackie."

The Doctor hummed with interest before turning back to the console. "The TARDIS should have made you a room with your name on it. Head down the hall until you find it."

The time ship jerked to the side. Elm stumbled and grabbed the railing to prevent herself from tumbling to the ground. "What's going on?!"

"I don't know!" the Doctor shouted back, running around to the screen before twisting a few knobs. "She's not listening to me. Something's gone wrong."

Elm staggered closer and grabbed the back of the console seat. The TARDIS rumbled again and she nearly fell over. "Where's she taking us?"

The Doctor's eyes gleamed. "I don't know! Could be anywhere in time and space! Are you ready for your first adventure, Elm Smith?"

"No!"

"Fantastic!"


	2. OA: Fixed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Title: What is a fixed point?
> 
> As soon as the TARDIS settled, Elm’s head snapped toward the Doctor. “Where are we?  
> “Wrong question.”

Alternate Title: What is a fixed point?

As soon as the TARDIS settled, Elm’s head snapped toward the Doctor. “Where are we?

“Wrong question.”

“What do you mean wrong-” she cut herself off with a gasp, slapping a hand over her mouth. “No way.”

The Doctor leaned against the console with a smug grin. “What?”

“No way,” Elm repeated, letting out a short laugh. The young woman leaned toward the Doctor, bright green eyes lit with excitement. “Did we travel in time?”

“Correct.” The Doctor’s grin broadened. “So, what’s the question?”

“When are we?”

Spinning around to look at the console’s screen, the Doctor tapped a button. “April of 1912, England. She’s not giving me exact coordinates but-” before he could continue explaining, Elm ran for the door. “Oi! You can’t go running out!”

She paused and turned to look at him. “At all? What’s the point of time travel if you can’t, you know, travel? Are there rules that I should be following?”

“No, nothing like that, but no self-respecting woman from 1912 would be caught dead in trousers. You could cause a scandal.”

“Not that I’m not a fan of dressing up, but I don’t have any clothes from 1912,” Elm argued, backtracking from the door. “I don’t have any clothes on me at all, actually. Not even my go-bag.”

The Doctor scratched his chin. “Well, seeing as we’re stuck here until the TARDIS decides we’re not, I suppose you can use my wardrobe.” He pointed toward a hall that went further into the ship. “Straight that way, take two lefts and a right.”

“How will I know what’s period appropriate?”

“The Earth section is divided by decade,” the Doctor explained, waving Elm off. “Go on then. And hurry up!”

Elm snorted but did as she was told, jogging down the hall. It was futuristic and sleek, with smooth metal plating acting as floors and walls. Occasionally she would pass a door, but most of them didn’t stand out. She skidded to a stop, though, when she passed a very particular door. It was wooden, standing out from the sliver of metal. The most unusual thing about it was a name, her name, printed in bold lettering at eye level. She reached out to touch the door, but it disappeared before she could. A doorway leading into a spacious wardrobe replaced it. Elm’s jaw dropped. “Whoa.”

OoOoOoO

“Are you a hoarder?” Elm questioned as she re-entered the console room. While in the wardrobe she changed into a simple period dress and coat. Dressing up gave her a familiar joy, though she didn’t linger on the memories long. “Your wardrobe is the size of a mall.”

“You live and travel as long as I have, you pick up a few things,” the Doctor said in answer. He offered her his arm, “Shall we?”

Elm looped her arm through his and reached out to open the door, but paused before she touched it. “There aren’t any special time-travel rules I should know about, are there?”

The Doctor shrugged and opened the door himself. “Not really. The only real rule is you don’t mess with fixed events, but the odds of coming across one of those is slim to none. The TARDIS avoids them on her own.”

While the Doctor continued rattling on, Elm looked around in awe. They landed on the edge of a back ally that let out near a port, and a large crowd of people was forming before them. While most of the people had fancy coats, hats, and canes, there was a large portion that wore simpler clothes. It was morning, and the mist from the sea hadn't yet dissipated. The people murmured and pointed, drawing her attention to an approaching vessel. It was a large shadow of a ship that came into focus the longer Elm stared. The young woman’s mouth went dry when she was finally able to make out the words painted on the side of the gigantic hull. “Doctor?”

“Impressed yet? 1912 wasn’t the most exciting year, granted, but there were a few interesting things such as-”

“The maiden voyage of the Titanic?”

The Doctor’s eye’s refocused on Elm. “What?”

“Look there!” she shouted, pointing at the large ship. Its smokestacks poured gray pollution into the sky, forming clouds. The people began clapping as it got closer. “Is that really the Titanic? It’s one thing to hear about how big it was, but to actually see it is-”

Before Elm could finish she got pulled away, the Doctor’s once loose grip on her arm tightening. He tugged her back to the TARDIS, muttering all the way. “Why this day of all days?” He dug a key out of his pocket and stuck it into the lock, but it wouldn't turn. Banging a hand on the door, he shouted. “What, so you’re locking me out now too? Let me in! You know there’s nothing I can do!”

“Doctor?” Elm questioned, watching him argue with his box. “What’s going on? Why aren’t we exploring?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” the angry man muttered, giving the blue box one last kick.

“Try me.”

With a growl, the Doctor re-grabbed Elm’s arm and pulled her to the mouth of the ally. “You see all these people?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, 1503 of them are going to die in four days, and I can’t do a single thing about it,” the Doctor said. He released her and clenched his fists. “Know why? Think of all the safety features boats have in your time. Radio control, the Ice Patrol, lifeboats stocked according to passenger count. The Titanic was a lesson learned for humanity. Thousands of future lives saved at the cost of 1503.” He sighed, looking away. “I suppose it’s good to learn this early on, but some things just can’t be changed.”

“But that’s-” her voice broke, “That’s so-” Never had Elm felt the weight of knowledge so heavily. Being there and knowing made her hands feel dirty. Bloody. And if she felt like that, she couldn't imagine how it felt for the Doctor. “No wonder you avoid them. This is… torture.”

The Doctor said nothing, but his silence and sad eyes spoke volumes. Giving the crowd one last, long look, he turned around. “Let’s wait by the TARDIS. She’ll have to let us in eventually.”

“Doctor,” Elm reached out to stop him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “We can’t just leave and do nothing.”

He turned toward her, eyes burning. “I just explained exactly why we have to do nothing, Elm Smith, and if you can’t accept that, then maybe you aren’t cut out for this.”

“I’m not suggesting we start shouting about the sinking of an unsinkable ship,” Elm responded, her voice sharp. “But you can’t stand here and tell me that all of those people have to die like they’re some blood sacrifice to Time. There has to be something Doctor. Anything. History gets the number wrong all the time and-”

“Wait,” the Doctor interrupted. “Repeat that.”

“What? History gets the number wrong all the time?”

“That's it!” he exclaimed. Seizing Elm by the forearms, he lifted the shorter woman into the air and spun her around once. He set her down with a laugh and sprinted toward the TARDIS. Dazed and dizzy, the young woman had to get her balance back before following. She found the TARDIS doors open wide, having been thrown open in the Doctor’s excitement. Said man was standing at the console, jabbing buttons and muttering. “There has to be someone. Someone so insignificant that-” He laughed sharply. “Got you.”

Elm approached him on soft feet. “What? What have you got?”

He turned toward her, a mad grin on his face. “How good are you at acting?”

OoOoOoO

Taking a breath for confidence, Elm rushed toward her target. “Sir!” she exclaimed. A man and a woman stood side by side, overseeing four young children. They were all dressed modestly. “Sir, you must help me.”

The man spun around to look at her, alarmed. “Are you alright Miss?”

“No. Well yes, but no,” Elm responded quickly. “Are you Mr. and Mrs. Daniels of Southampton?”

"Yes."

"The charity family?"

"We do occasionally help the less fortunate in life, yes," Mr. Daniels said. Elm got the idea that he said that a lot. "With whom am I speaking?"

She brightened and leaned forward in earnest. "Elm Smith, sir. It's an honor to meet you."

"And you, Miss. Smith. Now then, what exactly is the matter?" Mr. Daniels inquired.

Mrs. Daniels gave her a concerned look. "Are you in need of help, dear?"

"As much as I appreciate your concern, both of you," Elm began, "The trouble I'm in is entirely of my own doing. Would you be willing to listen to me?"

“Of course. Let us separate from these crowds. Come along children.” Mr. Daniels lead Elm and his family over to the edge of the port. After giving his children some strict guidelines for play, he turned his attention back to Elm. “Now then, how can we help you?”

Flushing, Elm gave a small smile. “Well, it’s actually rather embarrassing. I’m not from around here.”

“I noticed. Your accent is particular,” Mrs. Daniels replied. “Where are you from then, dear?”

“America.” Elm tugged on her left ear, disguising the action as a nervous tick. “You see, a few years ago I ran away to marry an Englishman.”

“There you are, love,” the Doctor's voice came from right behind her. He had changed his jeans and jacket to a fitted suit that helped him blend in. He gave her a small smile when she turned to greet him. “Are these the Daniels?”

“Yes. Sorry for running off,” Elm said with a sheepish smile. After a moment of hesitation, she gave him a tiny peck on the cheek before turning back to the Daniels. “Speaking of, this is my husband, Doctor John Smith.”

Mr. Daniels and the Doctor shook hands. “A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Smith.”

The Doctor smiled. “The pleasure is mine.”

“Darling,” Elm began, drawing the word out longer than necessary. “I was just telling the Daniels about our situation. Would you mind taking over? It is… too hard for me to speak of.”

“Of course, love,” the Doctor said. Squaring himself, he placed a hand on Elm’s shoulder before turning to the Daniels. “Ever since she married me, Elm hasn’t had the chance to visit her family. We’ve been traveling, and it wouldn’t have worked out. Just the other day she received word that her mother has contracted pneumonia. She hasn’t got much time left.”

Mrs. Daniels gasped and leaned against her husband for stability. “Oh, that is terrible. Absolutely terrible. I am so sorry dear.”

“I have come to terms with it,” Elm said with a sniffle. “But therein lie the problem. You see, we were going to take the Titanic to New York and then take a train the rest of the way. It’s the best chance I have of ever seeing-” she wiped at her eyes. “Of seeing my mother again.”

The Doctor shifted and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Unfortunately, we were away when tickets were being sold and have missed our chance to buy them.”

Mr. Daniels frowned. “Dr. Smith. I do not see how we can assist you in this matter, and if you are suggesting what I think you are-”

“We’ll pay you 120 pounds per ticket,” Elm burst. “That’ll more than reimburse you for the trouble, shouldn’t it? Please, Mr. Daniels, Mrs. Daniels.”

The couple exchanged glances and gave her apologetic looks. “As generous as that is,” Mr. Daniels began, “We still have our four children, who all have tickets. Perhaps you can look for a different couple? One without children?”

“You misunderstand,” the Doctor interrupted. “We mean to say that we’ll buy all six of your tickets for 120 pounds each. 720 pounds in total.” At the incredulous looks on the couple’s faces, the Doctor continued. “We can go higher if you wish. You can understand how important this is to us.”

“But, why?” Mrs. Daniels murmured. Her eyes grew misty as she watched the Doctor produce from his pocket the pouch he brought with him. “Surely there are cheaper solutions.”

“Money is not an issue here,” Elm responded. “We’ve heard stories about your family, and all that you’ve done. We’ve also heard that relocating was more of a necessity than a want. In thanks, all you have to do is continue helping people. Please.”

“Now then,” the Doctor began, holding up the pouch. “Do we have a deal?”

OoOoOoO

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor checked the console monitor for the results of their efforts. As he did, Elm sipped a coffee she grabbed on her way to change into more comfortable clothes. It was a strong brew, which she was grateful for. She couldn't remember a time when she was more tired physically and emotionally.

“The Daniels go on to open a house for the poor and became community figures,” the Doctor said as he scanned an article. “Their descendants opened one of the first battered women shelters.” A moment passed and the Doctor laughed. “And look at this. They still have that picture.”

“What?” Elm approached the console to see the picture the Daniels insisting on taking with them. Elm and the Doctor stood right next to the family with their arms linked. She read the caption below the picture. “Family friends Dr. and Mrs. Smith.” She smiled. “That’s nice, though I’m surprised they weren’t more suspicious.”

The Doctor shrugged. “We had a solid story. Though, I was surprised at how good you were at lying.”

“I wanted to be an actress when I was a little girl,” Elm explained. After taking a long sip of her coffee, she remembered something. “Doctor, something odd happened to me when I was on my way to the wardrobe.”

“Bad odd?” the Doctor asked, fiddling with some switches.

“No, just odd,” Elm said. “See, I took the directions you gave me but, instead of the wardrobe, there was this door. It looked like your average old wooden door but it had my name painted on it.”

The Doctor paused and said after a moment. “Interesting.”

“Good interesting or bad interesting?”

“Just interesting,” the Doctor straightened and stuck his sonic back into his pocket. “It was your room, couldn’t you tell?”

Her brows drew together. “How can I have a room already?”

“The TARDIS knew you were coming aboard before we met. You’ve probably had a room for a long while already.”

Elm opened her mouth, closed it and then opened it again. “Wait, what?”

Before the Doctor could answer, there was a loud grinding noise from somewhere deep within the ship. The tube in the center of the console lit up like it was jump-started, and they were off.

The Doctor gripped at what he could and began jamming buttons. “Where are you taking us now?”

Meanwhile, Elm landed heavily in the bolted chair, somehow without spilling her drink. “Is it normally this rough?” she shouted above the wheezing time ship.

The Doctor shook his head. “No. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

As it landed, the TARDIS almost seemed to tip on its side for a moment before settling with a bang. Elm downed the last bit of her coffee and turned toward the alien man. “Alright then, Doctor, when are we now?”

“1963, America,” he hit the side of the monitor. “The exact coordinates are so jumbled right now, I can’t make them out.”

Elm yawned before setting her cup down and heading toward the door. “Let’s go, then. No one will complain about my outfit, will they? I don’t have the energy to change right now.”

The Doctor examined her button-up blue shirt and sweater vest. An odd choice for someone from her century, sure, but it was nowhere near offensive. “You’re fine.”

The air was hot and dry outside the TARDIS, and a cheering crowd could be heard in the distance. Elm headed toward the noise, and waded through the crowd, trying to figure out what was happening. As she searched for some sort of sign, a tiny body collided with hers. A little boy, who couldn't have been more than five, looked up at her with big brown eyes. He, like most of the crowd, was wearing red, white and blue. In his hand he held a tiny flag.

Seeing his distressed face, she leaned on her knees. “Are you alright? What’s your name?”

“Tommy,” he answered with a large sniffle. “I can’t find my Mommy and Daddy.”

Elm softened and reached out a hand. “Well we can’t have that, can we? Here, take my hand, and we can look for them together-” she paused when a familiar voice cut through the crowd.

“Elm! Elm where are you!? We’ve got to-”

Three sharp bangs transformed the crowd’s cheering into screaming in an instant. Startled, Elm grabbed Tommy and pulled him into her as a fourth shot rang out. As she wrapped herself around him, she felt something sharp graze her shoulder and winced.

All at once, the shooting stopped.

“Elm!” the Doctor shouted, rushing forward to pull the young woman up. She allowed the movement without objection, though would not release Tommy. She felt as if the world was moving in slow motion, and a white noise filled her head. A sharp tug on her injured arm snapped her out of her shock. “Come on, we’ve got to get to the TARDIS.”

Despite the Doctor’s urging, Elm shook him off and crouched down next to the now crying Tommy. Shushing him with a soft voice, she pointed toward the crowd. “Do you see your parents?”

Tommy didn’t have to answer as two adults, a man and a woman, came rushing forward. The mother wrapped herself around Tommy so much that Elm could hardly see the child. “Thank you so much.”

“I’ll call the paramedics over here,” the man added, eyeing her injury. She pressed a hand against it and winced.

“Don’t worry, I’m a doctor,” the Doctor assured before taking Elm’s arm. “Let’s go.”

Elm followed silently as the Doctor pulled her into the TARDIS and through to the med-bay. He lifted her onto a sterile white cot, and asked her to take off her vest and unbutton her shirt. She followed his directions without argument. As the Doctor began to dress her wound, applying a sweet smelling paste, Elm felt tears rise to her eyes.

“Sorry, it doesn’t actually hurt all that bad. I-” she shuddered. “The sound.”

“It’s alright.”

The conversation lulled as the Doctor got out bandages.

“I’m sorry for shutting down,” Elm mumbled.

“You don’t need to apologize for being shaken,” the Doctor said, being as gentle as possible as he wrapped her shoulder. He couldn’t meet her eyes. “I can bring you home as soon as I figure out what’s wrong with the TARDIS.”

Elm’s head shot up. “Home? You want to bring me home?”

“Don’t you want to be brought home?”

“No!” Elm exclaimed, jostling her arm on accident. Hissing in pain, she settled again. “I mean, if you’re still okay with me being here I’m happy for the chance.”

“This won’t be the last time you’ll see someone die,” the Doctor warned as he helped her down from the medical table.

“I understand. The Titanic was a hard lesson,” Elm fiddled with her bandages as the pain faded to a dull throbbing. “But I’m fine. A little cry and maybe a hug and I’ll be good to go.”

The Doctor gave her a skeptical look. “Are you sure?”

“Of course! Here, I’ll prove it to you,” Elm said. Without hesitation she reached forward and grabbed his waist, pulling him into a hug. For a moment she wasn't sure if he would reciprocate as his hands laid stiff at his sides. After a moment he gave in to it, allowing his arms to rest on her shoulders. Elm took the opportunity to breathe, and ground herself with the Doctor as her tether. It took a long moment, though the panic did indeed leave her. She loosened her arms once she was ready, and the Doctor took a step back.

He gave her an analytical look before nodding and turning to leave. "Go grab a new shirt."

“Sir, yes, sir.”

OoOoOoO

"So the TARDIS has a problem,” Elm began, hopping up onto the railing behind the console chair. “The only problem is, I can't see any connection between JFK and the Titanic. Besides the fact that they're instances of terrible death that affected millions.”

The Doctor snapped his fingers. “But that’s it!”

“What’s it?”

“They’re fixed points,” he explained before frowning. “That may be the connection, but why? The TARDIS always avoids fixed points if she can help it.”

“Has anything changed recently?” Elm questioned, swinging her legs. She let out a loud yawn as she spoke next. “Maybe she’s sick?”

The Doctor’s eyes widened in realization. “You’re tired.”

“Obviously. I dunno how time passes in the TARDIS, but I haven't slept since getting my face squeezed by that plastic hand. Do those things have proper names by the way? The dummies?”

"They're called Autons," the Doctor answered without thought. He ran to the display to check something as he spoke and frowned at what he saw.

“Everything alright?” Elm asked.

"Like you, she's running low on fuel," the Doctor began, jamming a few buttons. "One quick trip to the rift and we can-"

The TARDIS jerking to the side cut him off. Emergency lights began flashing as the Doctor tried to get control of his machine. While he was able to hold onto the console, Elm was having a much worse time as she was flung off the railing onto the floor. As soon as the TARDIS settled she pulled herself up with a groan.

"1883. Sumatra," the Doctor announced at once, taking out his sonic and running to the TARDIS doors. Throwing them open, he froze in the doorway. "Elm?"

She stood to join the Doctor. "What's going on."

The Doctor didn't bother turning around. "Come here and hold up your hands."

"Why?"

"Just do it," the Doctor snapped, stepping out of the TARDIS fully. Elm followed with hesitation, doing as he instructed. The barrel of a gun greeted her.

"Do as I say or you will be shot."

OoOoOoO

The heavy metal door to the brig slammed shut. Elm and the Doctor were in separate cells next to each other, separated by floor to ceiling bars. Their things were taken from them by the Captain and stored in a chest in the room, as they 'were not trusted'.

Elm followed the movements of the Captain and his security officers as they left. Slumping onto the cot behind her, she let out a sigh and closed her eyes. The surface was rough and uncomfortable, but she found herself relaxing anyway. From her place on the cot, she turned her head to watch the Doctor, who was tapping on the metal bars. "You are way too comfortable with this situation. I'm getting the feeling it happens a lot."

"More often than I'd like," the Doctor admitted, finally giving up and collapsing on his own cot. "Hide your TARDIS key somewhere they won't look. It would make us look worse if they found out that she's bigger on the inside."

"How does it get any worse than witchcraft in 1883?" Elm questioned. "And I don't have a TARDIS key."

The alien man fished a key out of his small jean pocket and passed it to her. Elm scrutinized it under the dim firelight and to her it looked like an ordinary Yale key. Figuring the Doctor had no reason to lie, she stuffed it into the safest place she could think of, her bra. The Doctor spoke as she hid the precious item. "Usually, I wait longer to give you a key, but after 3 fixed points I guess you've earned it."

"Three? No offense Doc but JFK plus Titanic equals 2."

"Do you have any idea where we are right now?"

Elm shook her head a negative. "History wasn't my focus in school, and the American school system is not very thorough with world events."

"Ever heard of Krakatoa?"

"No. It sounds like a volcano."

"Exactly."

The young woman sat up with a start. "There's an active volcano around here?"

"If only," the Doctor chuckled under his breath. "One of the most deadly volcanic eruptions of your modern history is about to occur."

"Oh."

OoOoOoO

The crew seemed content to let their prisoners rot, as the duo did not get any visitors for the rest of the day. From what Elm overheard from the occasional guard, the passengers were exploring in town. To quell her mounting irritation at their situation, she slept through most of it.

She awoke when a loud, almost sonic, boom rocked the ship, sending her off the cot and onto the floor. The floor jarred her shoulder, which made her groan in pain before standing to grip the bars of her little cell. "That'd be the volcano I assume."

"Yeah," the Doctor replied, standing as well. Loud footsteps bumbled down toward the door before it was thrown open. Captain Lindermann entered the room pointing an accusing finger.

"You two," the Captain began. "Confess your sins and tell us what you have done to the mountain."

The Doctor gave an easy grin. "I'm guessing the top blew off?"

Captain Lindemann didn't seem to appreciate his easy-going nature. "I knew it. What magic is this?"

"It's not magic," Elm piped in, gaining their attention. "It's a volcano. Didn't you see it?"

One of the crewmen looked overjoyed and nodded. "It looked like natural fireworks. I have never seen the likes of them before."

"Quiet Dekker," Captain Lindemann growled before turning back to his prisoners. "If you two will not confess we will have to wait until we return home for a trial. Perhaps you can still be saved from your sin."

With an angry turn, the Captain stormed out of the brig, leaving the Doctor and Elm alone once again.

"What should we be expecting," Elm questioned. She was now sitting up on her cot with her legs crossed. "With the volcano, not the witch trial. I know what to expect from the witch trial."

The Doctor seemed to the fiddling with the lock on his cell. "If that was the initial eruption, then it should be around noon right now. The following four explosions should happen tomorrow morning, and the tsunami will follow."

"The tsunami?" Elm exclaimed. "You never said anything about a tsunami!"

"You didn't ask."

The young woman groaned and fell back on the cot, muttering to herself. “Tsunamis and volcanoes, what next?”

"Oi! It’s not my fault! I offered to take you home," the Doctor snapped, earning a glare from Elm.

She grumbled to herself. "I wish I had a novel with me."

"How would a novel help?" the Doctor asked.

“I need to refocus,” Elm explained. "Books are good for taking a step back and separating yourself from the problem. Fresh eyes are always helpful."

The man hummed in thought. "I haven't thought of reading in a while. Maybe I'll take it up again."

"Nothing is better than a good book," Elm agreed. The hollow feeling in her stomach intensified and she groaned. "Or a good meal. I'm starving."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Well, why didn’t you just say so?” Sticking his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a cube package and tossed it to her. "There you go. Now can we please get back to the escape plan?"

Elm stared at the Doctor in shock as she unwrapped and bit into the cubed meal. "Pizza?" she muttered. The furious tapping of the Doctor's fingers on the bars refocused her. "I thought they searched you. What have you got in your pockets?"

"Three guesses?" the Doctor said with a grin before digging his hands around. "Let's see. A few more cube rations. Some dehydrated water containers. A rubber ducky. A hammer. Two, no, three pens-"

"You are the most well-prepared person I have ever met," Elm said, looking at him in mild shock. "And it's one more thing pointing toward you being a hoarder. How did they miss all that?"

With a grin, the Doctor poked the tiny pocket on his jeans. "They never expect the tiny pockets."

"How do you even-”

"Dimensional pockets. Same tech as the TARDIS, just on a small scale."

"But, how?" Elm exclaimed.

The Doctor shrugged before knocking on the wood behind him. "Not the time. If only we had something to pry these nails off-"

Elm stopped. The Doctor stopped. Grinning, he pulled the hammer out of his tiny pocket as slow as possible as if to emphasize the movement. Elm laughed out loud at the sight, shattering the light bulb moment.

"Oh, will you shut it. We've got a plan to make."

OoOoOoO

It wasn't meant to be.

Elm mourned their brilliant escape plan as she was escorted, hands bound, by two of the crew. It involved the rubber ducky, the hammer, and a reliance on the good humor of their captors. It would have been brilliant. There wasn't the time, it seemed, as she was lead into the captain's quarters. Captain Lindermann sat behind a large desk, looking resigned and unhappy to see her. She shared the sentiment.

“What is your name, witch?”

“Elm Smith and I am not a witch,” she said as calmly as she could under the circumstances. Her bound hands made her shoulder pull in painful ways.

The man quirked a brow. “If you are not a witch, explain your sudden appearance on my ship.”

“To be honest, it’s a little hard to explain-”

“Do not waste my time, girl,” the man growled, slamming his hand on the desk. “You are here because one of my crew has taken pity on you. He believes someone such as yourself could not be involved in the demonic arts.”

Understanding washed over Elm as she observed the Captain. Someone like her indeed. Twisting her shoulder to deliberately cause herself pain, tears sprang to her eyes. “I-I’m sorry, Captain.”

His eyes softened as he gestured to his men to untie her. She rubbed her wrists and willed the tears to keep flowing.

“Tell me what happened, Miss. Smith, and perhaps I can help you.”

“I-I married that man,” Elm began, twisting their previous tall tale. “But I did not know that he dabbled in magic until it was too late. I do not understand how I came to be on your ship, sir, and I apologize for any trouble it has caused you. I-I’m just scared.”

She held her breath, waiting for the Captain’s reaction, which she saw as going either one way or the other. The man sighed. “I see. What an unfortunate situation.”

“P-please take pity, kind sir. I can convince him to leave, just allow us access to his… magic blue box and we will bother you no longer.”

“No, no of course not!” And with that, Elm’s hopes of an easy escape were dashed away. “I cannot in good conscience leave a young woman with a man like that! No, you will accompany us until we return to our homeland and there we will see what can be done. Dekker!” The young man who seemed so excited earlier re-entered the room, looking nervous. “It appears your hunch was correct. Please escort her to your wife to be looked after.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, sir,” Elm echoed, biting her tongue. “Thank you for your… generosity.”

OoOoOoO

"I could never repay you, Mrs. Smit," Elm said through gritted teeth.

Said woman pulled the corset tighter. "Of course dear. We couldn't have you running around in men's clothes, now could we?"

"Well I won't be running around much in these," Elm let slip. Her shoulder ached under the pressure. "Can you loosen it, please? My shoulder is injured and the pressure is painful."

"Of course, dear, I should have realized," Mrs. Smit said with a gasp. She let the corset out a bit, giving Elm room to breathe, before tying it off. It was awkward to be dressed by someone else, but Elm let the woman have her fun. Mrs. Smit pulled a silky blue dress over her head once the corset was tied. "I'm sorry if it's ill fitting."

"It's fine. Thank you for your help," Elm said with a smile. In her hand she gripped the TARDIS key and once the woman turned away, she stuffed it down the front of her dress.

"Now for your hair," Mrs. Smit pushed her into a chair and huffed. "It's so short, and wherever did these curls come from?"

Elm chuckled at the dismayed expression on the woman's face. "I've always had them, I think. You can't contain them, trust me, I've tried."

"They're lovely. That warlock must have made you cut them though, you poor dear." Elm didn't bother correcting the woman as she began messing around with her hair. "Let me at least put some oil in them, to get rid of the friz."

"Thank you," she repeated. The oil made her nose itch, but she allowed it without complaint before standing from her seat. "Speaking of the warlock, maybe I could speak to him? To get some answers."

Mrs. Smit shook her head and looped her arm with Elm's. "You shouldn't. Leave that to the men." She began dragging the young woman to the deck, where most of the passengers were. "For now, let us join the other women! This village we are in is lovely, and we could go for a stroll!"

Captain Lindemann approached Elm as soon as he spotted her, a kind smile on his face. "I am glad to see you well, young miss."

She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Captain."

"Well, Miss. Smith, let me reassure you that you are safe while on my ship," the Captain said with a bow. "You ladies enjoy yourselves."

"We will, thank you, Captain," Mrs. Smit replied with a curtsy. With a graceful step used to the rocking of the boat, the woman lead Elm to a group of passengers standing near the edge. A younger woman in a bright pink dress approached her first.

"Miss. Smith! I'm glad to see you've recovered!"

Elm recalled the young woman who lead her to Mrs. Smit in the first place. She was married to the man who vouched for her. "It is all thanks to your husband. He is the one who got me out of that cell."

Mrs. Dekker lit up. "He is so insightful! Now that you've changed, it is obvious you are no witch!"

Approaching the railing, Elm let out a sigh. The ocean was so clear and beautiful that she could almost forget their impending doom. As a wave rocked the ship, her eyes traveled upward and tracked a cloud of smoke to a large mountain on the horizon. The boat shuttered as if in warning as four massive explosions made the Earth tremble.

The soft waves that lapped at the hull grew larger as crew and passenger both panicked at the sight. Mrs. Dekker stumbled backward toward the rail after a particularly rough wave. She would have tumbled over, if not for Elm grabbing her arm. Debris flew out of the mountain and smoke hung thick in the air, disrupting the weather. A storm began to form as the two smaller mountains next to the volcano sunk into the sea.

As the storm reached the ship, the Captain ordered for all passengers to return to their rooms. The crew attempted to guide the hysterical passengers to safety, and that was when Elm broke off. Making sure no one was following, she backed into the brig, closing the door behind her. Luckily, whoever was on guard duty had returned to the deck to help, so it was empty beside the Doctor.

He stood when she entered. "Where did you go?"

"I may have convinced them you're a warlock," Elm explained as she opened the crate that held their things. "Oh, and you tricked me into marrying you."

"Oi, why do I have to be the bad guy?" he asked, offended.

She shrugged and in that moment found the sonic screwdriver. "I thought I might be able to convince them to just let us go."

"Fat lot of good that did."

"I had to come up with it on the fly, okay? There are much bigger problems at hand anyway," she passed him the device and watched as he got himself free. "The volcano exploded and there are some pretty scary waves forming."

The Doctor approached the crate and grabbed his jacket, which they stripped him of on arrival. "Let's get going then. The TARDIS is in the room over, and I doubt they'll notice us."

"We can't just leave!" Elm exclaimed, blocking the door. "What about the passengers and the crew."

"Elm, this isn't like a port in Southampton. This is being on board the Titanic as it's sinking. We're right in the thick of this and could die."

Gritting her teeth, Elm crossed her arms. "I came along to learn and experience, not to run away like a coward at the fight sign of danger."

"You mean that?"

"Yes."

"You'll go down with this ship even if it means your death?"

Elm rolled her eyes. "Yes, I already said-"

"Well come on then," the Doctor exclaimed, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the stairs. "There's no time to sit around babbling like ninnies."

OoOoOoO

They reached the deck within moments and Elm gasped at the state of it. A thick watery mud coated the deck at least a foot deep, and the sky had gone dark. Ash-fall replaced the rain, coating everything that wasn't already muddy. The Doctor immediately approached the Captain. "Captain."

The Captain spun around and gave the Doctor a glare. "This isn't the time, warlock. We are facing desolation." He then turned toward the already soaked and muddied Elm. "Miss. Smith, I must insist you join the others below deck."

"It looks like you could use all the help you can get, sir," Elm said. The crew was scrambling around dumping buckets of mud over the side of the ship. She grabbed an empty one. "It's not my dress anyway."

She pulled up her sleeves and began scooping, the motion jolting her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she kept at it, filling her bucket and throwing the muck overboard. Beside the Captain, who was speaking to the Doctor, no one seemed to notice nor care about her presence. The slippers Mrs. Smit gave her had zero to no traction and slipped off her feet by her second bucket full. The Doctor joined her by her sixth, by which time she was covered in mud, sweat and ash.

"I've convinced the Captain that I couldn't do any more harm," the Doctor said with a snort. "You look ridiculous."

Elm managed a breathy laugh. "Start scooping, magician, or I'll tell the Captain you're trying to seduce me."

"I should let you," the Doctor said as he got a bucket of his own. "Sitting on that ratty old cot is better than this."

"I miss that cot."

The Doctor laughed as he watched Elm slip into the mud again, only to slip himself and nearly fall overboard. Humor was easy to find in the beginning, but as time passed it became harder and harder to smile. Between the sweat, the mud and the ash, Elm hardly felt human anymore.

The Captain finally called for a break once it seemed all the mud was gone, and Elm collapsed onto the ground. She leaned with her back against the edge of the ship and her sore legs sprawled out with little care. Beside her the Doctor sat as well, a contemplative look on his face.

Eventually, the cooks came up from the hull with water flasks and passed them out to all the tired crew. Many were sitting like Elm and the Doctor, splitting water flasks between themselves. Little conversation was exchanged.

Captain Lindermann approached them as Elm gulped down as much as she could. The Doctor seemed to be content with his dehydrated water, a substance which she wasn't sure about yet.

"While I am usually averse to those who dabble in magic," the Captain began. "Can you divine anything from this situation, warlock?"

The Doctor stood with a grunt and squinted into the distance as another wave hit the ship. "Finally decided to ask, have you? Well, the waves are only going to get worse from here. I think it is in our best interest to sail toward them so as to not get swallowed."

Affronted by the Doctor's lack of respect, Captain Lindermann chose not to respond. Instead, he turned to Elm. "I am not so sure about you anymore, Miss. Smith. You claim to be under duress, but are far too comfortable with this man for that to be true. Just what are you, if not a witch?"

"Tired and hungry," Elm said in answer. With a shake of his head, the Captain marched off to the helm to deliver new orders. Once he was out of earshot, the young woman turned toward the Doctor. "What now, Doc?"

"We wait."

OoOoOoO

Between sweeping ash and scooping mud, Elm found herself looking out over the sea. She could hardly see two feet in front of herself, but she could make out the trashing ocean below. What was once a beautiful and clear sea had gone dark, whether with the storm or the ash she did not know. What she did know was it was hard to breathe.

"Mr. Dekker," she began, approaching the man who had helped her before. He looked startled at her approach.

"Is there something I can do for you Miss. Smith?" he asked. His gaze kept jumping from her to the Doctor, who's silhouette could be seen next to the Captain.

"Is there any cloth below deck I could use to cover my nose and mouth?" As if triggered by her words, a cough broke free from her chest. Clearing her throat, she rasped. "The ash is making it hard to breathe."

He furrowed his brows in thought. "I'm sure at lest a few of the passengers brought handkerchiefs. I can ask my wife to look around."

"Thank you," Elm said gratefully. Before he could leave, she called. "Oh and Mr. Dekker? I don't bite."

The man flushed all the way up to his ears and scurried back into the hull. Elm chuckled at his expense before getting back to work. The ash wouldn't remove itself. She was sweeping for some time before Mr. Dekker came back, a sturdy handkerchief in hand. She opened her mouth to thank him, but was cut off by a startled shout that came somewhere to her right.

More shouts followed.

"A great wave is approaching!"

"Secure yourselves!"

"Make sure all the passengers are in the bottom of the ship!"

Elm rushed toward a mast, grabbed a rope and tied it around her hand multiple times. Through the ash-fall she could see the Doctor grabbing hold to some netting. They exchanged looks.

"Brace!"

Silence descended on the crew as the wave approached with surreal swiftness. It was a wall of water taller than her apartment building. Elm swallowed thickly.

The front of the ship lifted into the air and continued rising as they climbed the wave. Someone behind her shouted as the vessel almost became vertical. Anything that wasn't secured began to slide. And then, all at once, it was over. The ship lept into the air as it met the crest, and settled once again.

Elm spun around and watched through squinted eyes as the tsunami met the shore.

The silence was broken by a call from the Captain. "Get this ash off the deck!"

Picking up a broom, she was about to do just that when the Doctor grabbed her hand. He shushed her objections as he pulled her deeper into the ship.

"They're out of danger for now and should be able to get back to the Netherlands on their own," the Doctor said. He fiddled with his sonic to unlock the storage room they stood before. Within sat the TARDIS, and for some reason the sight of the ship made Elm relax.

"Wait," she interrupted. "They're from the Netherlands? Why are they speaking English?"

The Doctor hummed. "That's the TARDIS's translation matrix. Automatically adjusts according to where you are. They weren't speaking English; you were speaking Dutch."

"God, I love your ship," Elm sighed, rubbing a hand on the wooden door.

"Are you two leaving?"

Elm jumped with a start and spun around. Mr. Dekker stood in the doorway, looking nervous.

"Are you gonna stop us?" the Doctor asked.

Mr. Dekker's eyes widened. "N-no, sir. I just-" he paused and collected himself. "I just wanted to thank you. For helping us."

"No thanks needed. We were just passing through," the Doctor replied, unlocking the TARDIS.

"Well, still, thank you. I think I might've misjudged you, and I apologize for that," the young man rung his hands. "Would you mind if I drew you?"

"What?"

Mr. Dekker bit his lip. "Well, in my free time I like to draw, so I thought-"

"That'd be fine, Mr. Dekker," Elm answered. Humming, she tilted her head. "You know, I never got your first name, or your wife's."

"Oh, I'm Levi, and my wife is Eliene," he said. He gave them a quick grin before turning around. "I'd best be going. I have a feeling I don't want to see what happens next."

"Goodbye, Mr. Dekker," Elm called after him. Grinning at his retreating form, she got into the TARDIS and sighed in relief. "Oh, it's so nice to see you again you beautiful ship you."

The Doctor laughed and punched in the dematerialization sequence. "She is a sight for sore eyes, isn't she?"

She nodded in answer before leaning against a rail. "Please tell me we can take a break now, Doc."

"Don't call me Doc," he began, flipping another few switches. While the ride was rough, it was much better than before. "And yes. I've figured out what was wrong. She was low on energy and was acting up to let me know."

"She ran out of gas?"

"Sort of. The TARDIS runs on Artron energy, and recently she's been through a bit of a trauma. She must be running low because of that, so a quick stop at a time rift and she'll be ready to go," the Doctor explained.

"And what are time rifts?"

The Doctor made a vague gesture. "They're sort of like cracks in space-time. Weak spots. Energy leaks through and the TARDIS can absorb it."

Elm took a seat in the console chair. "So like a space gas station."

"Sure."

"And where would this space gas station be?" she questioned. "Some special planet?"

"Cardiff actually."

"Cardiff?"

"Cardiff," the Doctor repeated.

Elm wobbled to her feet. "Great. A rest stop then. Do you have a shower?"

"There should be one in your room. Head down the hall and take two lefts and you'll find it," the Doctor said. After checking the monitor, he started toward the hall as well. "Go ahead and sleep too. I know how you apes love to sleep."

"How dare we rest," Elm responded sarcastically. "See you in a few hours then. Get some rest too, if you need rest that is. Night-or sweet dreams I guess."

"Go take a shower, you smell like an ashtray."

"Thanks."

OoOoOoO

The Doctor was actually wrong for once, it seemed, as her door was only a few steps down the hall. She opened the door cautiously and peeked through before entering completely. A happy laugh escaped her.

The color scheme of the space was reminiscent of fall, with dark reds, browns and yellows. The bed was big enough for four people, with an overabundance of pillows and blankets to choose from. Mounted on the walls were shelves upon shelves, empty and ready to be filled. There were also two doors; one that led directly into the wardrobe and one that led to a bathroom.

Despite the tempting option of a bath, Elm decided to take advantage of the shower. Sitting in the gunk that covered her did not sound appealing.

On the wall there was a little chute with a picture of a washing machine on it. Taking a wild guess, Elm dumped her soiled clothes down it where they disappeared without a trace. She only just remembered the key the Doctor gave her, and set it on the bathroom counter for safe keeping. With gentle hands she unwrapped her shoulder and was happy to see it almost completely healed. She loved future medicine.

Once completely bare, she took great pleasure in rinsing off all the mud and ash. The hot water soothed her sore body, and she emerged feeling like a human again.

Steam filled the bathroom as she stepped out of the shower. There were large towels sitting on a rack, and she took two to dry herself off. She finished quickly and entered her room again to find pajamas laid out on the bed.

“Thank you?” Elm said, looking around. Finding no reason not to change, she put the clothes on and laid down.

Sleep claimed her quickly.

OoOoOoO

Elm woke with a foggy head and stumbled to her bathroom. While she brushed her teeth, something dangling from a hook caught her attention. It was the TARDIS key, strung onto a metal chain. Giggling and groggy, she slipped it on and stumbled out of her door. The key was oddly warm and comforting.

The smell of coffee led her down the hall and to the left, where a door clearly labeled kitchen was. A pot of warm coffee and an assortment of cremes, sweeteners, and additions made her eyes widen.

“I think I love you, TARDIS,” she muttered to herself. She filled a cup to the brim and sipped as she looked through the cabinets. There wasn't much she recognized, but there was something that sort of looked like bread. There was also something that sort of looked like cheese. Not knowing what she was doing, she melted the cheese onto the bread in what looked like a toaster oven.

It turned out pretty good.

As she settled into a chair to eat, the Doctor entered the room. "I thought you might have died."

"Your ship is an angel," Elm breathed, thoroughly relaxed. "Amazing. Fantastic. I love her."

The Doctor snorted but didn't argue. "So, how about a relaxation planet for our next trip. Somewhere off Earth at least."

"Maybe," Elm responded, taking a large bite out of her cheesy toast. "I dunno."

"We could go into the future too," the Doctor seemed to be mostly talking to himself. "New New York? Everyone loves New York."

"There was something. I'm forgetting something," she mumbled, absentmindedly finishing her breakfast.

"Forward, backward, all of time and space."

Elm sat straight up. "Time machine! This is a time machine!"

The Doctor started and raised a brow. "Yes. I thought we went over this already."

"No, no, you don't understand! This is a time machine!" Elm shouted, jumping up from the nook and gulping down the rest of her coffee. "I know exactly where we need to go."

She raced out of the kitchen and into the console room, her bare feet thudding on the grated floor. The Doctor followed behind. "Really?”

"Yeah. Just a few seconds after we left Rose and Mickey," she said, bouncing up and down. "If you can get it that close."

The Doctor slumped, a pained expression crossing his face. He nodded. "Yeah. Of course. With what you just went through, of course, you want to go home." The materialization was easy with a refueled TARDIS, and they landed within moments.

Elm didn't even notice the Doctor was sulking. Racing toward the door, she pulled it open and paused, to the Doctor's surprise. "Rose! It travels in time!"

In stunned silence, the Doctor watched as Rose raced inside. The girls hugged each other quickly before turning toward him.

With a sheepish smile, Elm laughed. "I hope the invitation is still open."

A mad grin spread across the Doctor's face. "Alright then, Rose Tyler. Forwards or backward?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this episode is based off of Clive's pictures.
> 
> Also, that bit about the ship overcoming a tsunami was real! Look up 'Loudon Captain Lindermann' if you're interested.


	3. The End of the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate title: How does the world end?
> 
> "Wait, when did you change clothes?" Rose questioned, looking Elm up and down.  
> "Oh, right," Elm glanced down at her pajamas. She had forgotten. "That's… sort of a long story."

Alternate title: How does the world end?

"Wait, when did you change clothes?" Rose questioned, looking Elm up and down.

"Oh, right," Elm glanced down at her pajamas. She had forgotten. "That's… sort of a long story."

"Yes, it is," the Doctor cut in before she could explain further. "A long story that we haven't the time for. You've still got to tell me where you want to go."

The young women shared a look.

"Forwards?" Rose suggested.

"Haven't gone forwards yet," Elm replied with a grin, beginning to bounce on her toes.

Rose's own happy smile tilted down. "But you've gone backward?"

"Forwards," the Doctor interrupted once again. He placed a hand on a wheel-like instrument on the console. "How far?"

"One hundred years?" Rose said after a moment.

The Doctor grinned and rotated the wheel a bit before pressing down a lever. "There you go. One hundred years. Step outside and it's the twenty-second century."

"I didn't even feel us move," Elm murmured, looking at the console curiously. What happened to all the jerking and bouncing?

Rose, not having heard her friend speak, gasped. "You're kidding."

"No," the Doctor drew out the word. "But it is a bit boring."

"Well, yeah, it's only 100 years," Elm spoke up, her mind snapping back into the moment. "If we're going into the future, we should go into the far future. How about 10,000 years?"

"If you'd like," the Doctor replied with a shrug. He adjusted a dial before repeating his previous movements. After throwing down the lever from before, he turned toward his companions. "Ten thousand years into your future. Step outside and it's the year 12005, the New Roman Empire."

"God," Elm breathed, looking toward the door. "That's insane. Can we go out?"

"They do have a rather strict dress code in this era," the Doctor replied, a smug grin on his face. "But I'm sure I have something for that in my wardrobe-"

Rose laughed, cutting the Doctor off. "You think you're so impressive."

"I am so impressive!" the alien man objected before turning back to the console. "Fine, if 10,000 years won't do it, we'll have to go further. Luckily for you, I know just the place. Hold on!"

The Doctor began spinning the wheel, quicker than the last time. In response to this, the TARDIS shook, and the central tubing glowed. Multitasking, the Doctor also adjusted some knobs before pulling down the final lever. The shaking stopped, and Elm cautiously stepped away from the rail.

"Where are we now?" Rose blurted, excitement clear on her face. "What's out there?"

Not bothering to respond, the Doctor simply gestured toward the TARDIS doors. Elm wanted to dart through them and into the unknown but held herself back. It was Rose's first trip, after all. Instead, she opted to watch as her younger friend bounded through the door.

"I'm so glad she got to come along after all," Elm said once Rose was out of earshot. Turning toward the Doctor, she smiled. "Thank you for going back. You didn't have to."

“More the merrier,” the Doctor replied with a flippant wave of his hand. “You going to sit this one out?”

"Are you kidding me?" Elm scoffed. "The future is outside! I just need, um," she scanned herself, searching for what she was missing. Her gaze landed on her feet. "Shoes." She looked up at the Doctor. "I don't have any shoes. Ms. Smit took them."

"Who?"

"Ms. Smit. From the ship," Elm replied before looking up at the Doctor curiously. "Wait, do I even need shoes this far into the future? I don't mind going without them."

As if in answer to her question, a pair of tennis shoes dropped from above. Both Elm and the Doctor looked up in response but found nothing there.

"Well," the Doctor said as he picked up the shoes. After examining them for a moment, he handed them to Elm. "Guess you do."

"I love your ship," Elm said with a laugh. Once the tennies were pulled onto her feet, she raced down the walkway and out the door, into the future.

OoOoOoO

The future was very clean. And beige. Elm immediately made toward Rose, who was halfway down some stairs in the front of the room. The Doctor walked on past, using his sonic on a wall panel.

"Oh wow," Elm gasped as a viewing window began to open. Walking forward to stand right next to her friend, she forgot to breathe as she stared at her home, Earth. She took a step forward to get even closer to the glass and placed a hand on it. "Oh wow," she repeated, at a loss for words. Her heart swelled within her with pure emotion as she gazed at the blue and green jewel for the first time in person.

"You lot," the Doctor began, walking forward to fill the space Elm left behind beside Rose. "You spend all your time thinking about dying like you're going to get killed by eggs, or beef, or global warming, or asteroids," the man shook his head. "But you never take the time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year five point five slash Apple slash twenty-six. Five billion years into your future and this is the day," he glanced down at his watch. "This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."

Tears rose to Elm's eyes as the Doctor's words filtered through her head. "Oh geez," she muttered to herself, wiping away at her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something only for the speakers overhead to interrupt her.

"Shuttles five and six are now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation, and religion. Earth Death scheduled for fifteen thirty-nine."

Rose seemed to recover first from the sight. "So, when it says guests, does it mean people?"

Collecting herself, Elm turned back toward her traveling companions and smiled. "Are we going to meet some proper aliens?"

"What, am I not a proper alien?" the Doctor questioned, holding a hand to his chest.

A laugh forced its way out of Elm. Stepping away from the viewing window, she smacked the Doctor's arm lightly. "I mean one that doesn't look and speak like he's from the North."

The Doctor grumbled. "You look like us. We came first. But yeah, there should be some, as you put it, proper aliens on board. Don't call them that though, it's a subjective term."

"But what're they doing on this spaceship? What's this whole place for?" Rose questioned. As the young woman spoke, the Doctor turned around to mess with the doors on the other side of the room. They opened with a hiss, and he lead the way down a hall. Elm grabbed Rose's hand to walk beside her.

"It's not really a spaceship. It's an observation deck," the Doctor explained as they reached another door. He got out his sonic again and scanned it. "The great and good are gathering to watch the planet burn."

"What for?" Rose asked.

The Doctor grinned as the doors opened. "Fun."

On the other side was a large observation room, empty besides them. The trio approached the giant viewing window to get a better look at the Earth, and Elm squinted at the Sun.

"Are we going to be okay? I imagine there will be a lot of debris, so this place has got to have some sort of advanced shielding, right?" she queried.

The Doctor nodded. "We'll be fine. Nothing will even touch us."

"But wait, the Sun expanding is supposed to take hundreds of years!" Rose interjected. "I saw it on Newsround Extra."

Snapping her fingers, Elm agreed. "Now that I think of it, yeah. And wasn't this supposed to happen a long time ago? How is the Earth even still around?"

"Millions of years from your perspective, but remember the great and the good I mentioned earlier? By that, I meant the rich," the Doctor shrugged. "Earth is a property of the National Trust, and they've kept it preserved. See those satellites down there? Those hold back the Sun with gravity."

"Oh wow." Elm leaned closer to get a better look.

Rose leaned forward as well and squinted at what she saw. "The planet looks the same. I thought continents shifted."

"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. Classic Earth. The money's run out now though, and nature is taking over."

"I'd love to get my hands on a book explaining this stuff," Elm expressed, bouncing on her heels. "I mean, gravity satellites and shifting continents, it's amazing!"

"I'm sure I've got something in my library. I'll show you once we're done here," the Doctor replied.

"How long's it got?" Rose cut in, her eyes still trained on the Earth. "The planet, how much longer does it have?"

The Doctor glanced down at his watch. "About a half an hour, then it gets roasted."

"Are you going to swoop in and save the Earth?" Rose asked with a smile. "Is that why we're here?"

"Time's up," the Doctor replied with a shake of his head. "I'm not doing anything."

"But," Rose stuttered. "But what about the people?!"

"It's empty," the Doctor said, shifting on his feet. "They're all gone. Spread across the stars."

Rose looked troubled. "Just us then."

Elm nudged her friend. "That's right, us. At least the Earth's not going to be alone." She looked down at her clothes. "Though, I guess I could be better dressed for the occasion."

"Who the hell are you?" the pair of humans spun around to face a blue-skinned person with golden slit eyes striding toward them.

"Oh no, we're not trespassing, are we?" Elm whispered, getting a little closer to the Doctor and pulling Rose with her.

"Oh, that's nice, thanks," the Doctor said, ignoring Elm's question.

The blue person glared. "How'd you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now."

The Doctor took out a little booklet and showed the man a paper from it. "That's me. I'm a guest. See, invitation. The Doctor plus two. I'm the Doctor and they are Rose Tyler and Elm Smith. My plus two. Is that alright?"

As the Doctor put away the paper, the man nodded. He looked a little sheepish. "Obviously. Apologies et cetera. If you're already here, we'd better start. Enjoy."

"Where'd you get an invitation?" Elm questioned, peeking around the Doctor to get a look at it.

He shook his head and showed her the paper he held up. "Nowhere, the paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves time."

Elm squinted at the paper. The words on it were blurry, but with some focus, she could make out what it said. It looked official enough. Her eyes shot up to the Doctor. "Why didn't you use this last time?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Left it in my other pants."

"He's blue," Rose blurted said, looking after the man.

Elm grinned and turned toward her friend. "I know, awesome, right?"

Before Rose had a chance to respond, the blue man stepped up to a podium and began to speak. "We have in attendance the Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Elm Smith. All staff to positions!" A group of smaller blue people appeared and lined the entrance. "Thank you. And now, might I introduce the next guest? Representing the Forest of Cheem, we have trees! Namely, Jabe, Lute, and Coffa." At his words, three tree people entered the room. "There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace, once everyone's announced. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon." Another blue alien, this one less humanoid and sitting in a mobile chair, rolled in. The steward kept announcing people and the aliens kept coming until the room was full. "Let the exchanging of gifts commence."

Jabe, one of the trees, was the first to approach them with a gift. "The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather."

"Thank you," the Doctor replied, accepting the gift. It was a small pot with a rooted twig in it. He passed it to Rose before patting his pockets down. "Gifts, yes, er. I give you in return, air from my lungs," he breathed on her, moving his head as he did so.

Elm nearly laughed out loud at how pleased the tree woman looked. "How intimate."

"There's more where that came from," the Doctor replied with a wink.

Feeling left out, Elm patted herself down for something to give. Her pajamas came with pockets and, in her exploration of them, she found something odd. "A lolly?" she questioned aloud, drawing the attention of Jabe and the Doctor. "I mean, um," she held out the treat. "I gift a lolly. From Earth. It's been… preserved? Yeah. Thought it was fitting."

"Thank you," Jabe said with a smile, holding the treat delicately. "It's quite a treasure."

Elm colored, trying to withhold a nervous laugh. "Yeah, uh, no problem."

Once Jabe moved on, Rose and Elm broke out into quiet giggles. "How fancy," Rose said, earning a playful glare from Elm.

"Shh!"

The Doctor grinned but said nothing until the next alien approached. "The Moxx of Balhoon."

"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva," the Moxx announced before promptly spitting on Rose. Elm was glad she wasn't the designated gift holder. The Doctor did the air thing again in response, and Elm presented the strange alien with lolly. He accepted it with as much reverence as Jabe.

The next group to approach the time traveling trio were cloaked. "Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme!" the Doctor exclaimed. "I give you air from my lungs."

"And we gift you a lolly from Earth," Elm added, handing over the treat to one of the figures. The candy disappeared into their cloak as another one held out a metal ball.

"A gift of peace in all good faith."

The Doctor accepted the gift and handed it to Rose, who was staring at Elm curiously. "How many have you got?" she questioned.

Elm shrugged. "No clue."

The steward cut off their conversation when he began speaking again. "At last, it is time to announce our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen."

Rose and Elm watched in awed horror as a stretched out piece of skin was wheeled into the room. In the center of it was a face, done up in makeup. Elm nearly gasped when it spoke. "Oh, now, don't stare. I know, shocking. I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look at how thin I am. Dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturise me. Moisturise me." The two men sprayed her with some sort of liquid. "I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on Earth and the last to be buried. I have come to honor them and say goodbye." Then the face started crying, the tears wiped away by her attendants. "Behold, though, I bring gifts," an attendant came out holding an egg, "This is the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a magnificent wingspan and blew fire." Elm choked on a laugh at the inaccurate statement. "Or was that my third husband? And here's another rarity." A 50s jukebox was rolled in and Elm smiled at the little piece of history. "According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest. Play on."

Expecting Mozart or Beethoven, Elm couldn't hold in a snort when Tainted Love began.

The steward cleared his throat. "Refreshments will now be served. Earth death in thirty minutes."

"That was-" before Elm could finish her sentence, Rose ran away toward the exit. "Oh no," she said, taking a step forward. "Oh no, Rose-"

"You stay and mingle," the Doctor, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder. "I'll go see what's wrong. Enjoy yourself!" And with that, the Doctor took off as well, following Rose out of the room. Left to her own devices, Elm looked around for a friendly face.

"Hello," she said upon approaching Cassandra. The face looked at her with curiosity and obvious vanity. "I never got to introduce myself, you, uh, kind of came in after the gift giving. Here's a lolly from 21st century Earth!" Elm held out the candy.

Cassandra smiled thinly. "How… quaint." One of her attendants grabbed the lolly from Elm and stuffed it into his pocket. "What are you then a… mixed breed?"

Running a hand through her black curls, Elm chuckled. "Aren't we all?"

"Most are, nowadays, but not me." Elm imagined Cassandra would be holding up her nose if she could. "The last pure human."

"You mentioned your father was a Texan, and your mother was from the…"

"Arctic Desert."

Elm coughed. "Yeah, there. That's a mix, isn't it? Of cultures at least," she shrugged. "Diversity and mixing the world, uh, more colorful. That's my take, at least."

"I suppose," Cassandra replied with a hum. "But the mixing of species, it's-"

As the 'last human' spoke, Elm felt something nudging at her mind. It almost sounded like a… voice. Gently poking and knocking. Concentrating, she, mentally, opened the door.

_ 'Hello.' _

Looking up sharply from Cassandra, she made eye contact with a guest across the room. She didn't quite remember his name. "Excuse me," she interrupted Cassandra's rant. "I think I'm being summoned. Nice to meet you."

Without waiting for a response, Elm crossed the room. The suspended head, the Face of something, followed her with its eyes. "Hello?" she began hesitantly. "Was that you?"

_ 'Yes. Thank you for speaking with me.' _

"Not quite sure if this is speaking," she said with a nervous chuckle. "You're the Face of something, right? Sorry, I didn't catch your name. You sponsored the event?"

_ 'The Face of Boe,' _ the mental voice corrected. Judging by it, he was male.  _ 'And yes, I sponsored this event.' _

Elm nodded and smiled. "Thank you then! I'm really excited to see it. If I may ask, though, why'd you decide to do it? Do you have some sort of connection to the planet?"

The mental presence hummed.  _ 'It was my home, once. A long time ago.' _

Elm squinted at the creature. "How old are you? If you don't mind me asking."

_ 'I wouldn't mind, but it becomes hard to count after so long,' _ Boe responded before changing the subject.  _ 'You came here with a man and a girl. Who were they?' _

"Oh, I don't think you were there for our introductions. I'm Elm Smith," she mocked a bow. "As for the other two, they're Rose Tyler and the Doctor. Rose is, well, she's my best friend. I've known her for a long time."

_ 'And the man, the Doctor? Who is he to you?' _

As the Face of Boe spoke, the platform shook and a voice came over the speaker. "Honoured guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause slight turbulence. Thanking you."

Elm thought on the Face of Boe's question. "The Doctor is, he's a bit trickier. I haven't known him for very long but, well, I guess you could say I ran away with him," she let out a dry laugh. "That sounds terrible, but so far it's been, it's been the best decision of my life. Don't give too much weight to this, I haven't known him for very long, but," she paused and a little smile grew on her face. "I think I've lived more in the past few days than I have ever before. If you get my meaning?" Out of the corner of her eye, Elm caught a glimpse of Rose and the Doctor re-entering the gallery. "Speaking of, my party is back. Excuse me."

_ 'Goodbye, Elm Smith. And good luck.' _

Rose immediately approached Elm and hugged her. "Sorry for running off like that, I got a bit overwhelmed. Look! The Doctor rigged my phone so that I could call mum."

"That's amazing!" Elm gasped, looking at the device. "Literal universal roaming."

The Doctor, ignoring his companions, messed with a screen secured to the wall. "That wasn't a gravity pocket. They don't feel like that." Turning around, he nodded Elm's way before looking at the tree woman from before. "What do you think Jabe? The engines have been pitched up thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?"

Jabe gave the Doctor a lost look. "It is the sound of metal, foreign to me."

"Maybe we could go to the engine room?" Elm suggested, tapping her fingers on her leg. "I don't know much about mechanics, but if there's something wrong with the engine, it only makes sense."

"Took the words straight out of my mouth," the Doctor said with a wink. Turning his attention back to Jabe, he questioned, "Where's the engine room?"

"I don't know," the tree woman shrugged. "A maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, however. I could show you and your… wives there."

The Doctor laughed. "We're not married."

"Partners?"

"Nope."

"Hired help?"

"No."

"Excuse me? We're right here you know," Rose interjected. Looking from Jabe to the Doctor, she scoffed. "How about I go catch up with the family while you two pollinate." Nudging Elm, she gestured to Jabe and the Doctor. "Keep an eye on them, would you?"

"Sure," Elm agreed. "Just have some fun, Rose. Talk to some proper aliens!"

Her friend laughed, but nodded, heading deeper into the room.

"And don't start any fights!" the Doctor called after her.

Coughing on a laugh, Elm linked her arm with Jabe's and lead her forward. "By the way, I don't think I ever introduced myself. Elm Smith, nice to meet you."

"How forward," Jabe observed, looking down at their linked arms. "In any case, I am Jabe from the forest of Cheem."

"Awesome!" Elm exclaimed. "Where's that?"

As the women chatted, the Doctor trailed behind, looking around curiously. Soon they reached the maintenance duct, which he opened with his sonic. The Doctor climbed in first, followed by Jabe and then Elm.

"Who's in charge of Platform One?" the Doctor questioned. "Is there a Captain?"

Jabe shook her head. "There's just the Steward and the staff. All the rest is controlled by the metal mind."

"But what if there's a problem?" Elm asked as she trailed her hand on one of the many pipes on the wall. It was cool to the touch. "There must be some sort of representative on board."

"Nothing can go wrong. The Corporation moves Platform One from one event to another, but this facility is fully automatic. It's the height of the Alpha class."

"Unsinkable?" The Doctor glanced back at Elm, brows furrowed.

With a shrug of her shoulders, Jabe's mouth quirked up. "If you'd like. I suppose the nautical metaphor is appropriate."

Elm shuddered. "That is not reassuring in the slightest."

"You're telling me," the Doctor agreed before pausing and turning fully to Jabe. "So you're telling me that if we get into trouble, there's no one to help us out?"

Jabe looked down before shaking her head. "I'm afraid not."

"Fantastic!" the Doctor exclaimed before continuing on.

"In what way is that fantastic?" Jabe asked Elm as they continued after him.

"He just says stuff like that. I think he enjoys trouble," she replied. Reaching a hand into her pocket, she produced a lolly and, after unwrapping it, popped it into her mouth. "I haven't known him long, though."

Gasping, Jabe stared at the human girl. "That is a piece of history, and you are consuming it?"

"Uh," Elm pulled the candy out and twirled the stick between her fingers. "That's what it's made for, isn't it? What's the point if you don't eat it?" Sticking it back in her mouth, she spoke around the candy. "So, what's your reason for being on Platform One?"

"Respect for the Earth."

The Doctor laughed. "Oh come on. Everyone on this platform's worth zillions."

"Well, perhaps it's a case of having to be seen at the right occasions," Jabe admitted with a roll of the shoulders.

"In case your share prices drop?" the Doctor challenged. "I know you lot, massive forests everywhere. There's always money in land."

Jabe nodded. "All the same, we respect the Earth as family. So many species evolved from that planet, Mankind is only one," she gestured to Elm. "I am another. I am a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest."

"Oh, that's cool," Elm said around her candy. "I've never been to the rainforest before, maybe someday Doc?"

"Maybe," the Doctor hummed as he took his sonic out to scan a paneled screen. "Excuse me."

While the Doctor worked on the screen, Jabe turned to Elm. "Where are you descended from, Elm Smith? I see you have taken your name from one of my species."

"I hope that's not offensive."

"It is not."

Lolly finished, Elm pulled the stick out of her mouth, wrapped the sticky end with the wrapper she saved and put the trash in her pocket. "Uh, I don't know for sure. My great gran on my dad's side was African American, but the rest of me is European. I couldn't tell you much other than that."

"I see," Jabe turned to the Doctor. "And what of you, Doctor? Perhaps you could tell a story or two of a man who enjoys trouble. I scanned you earlier and had difficulty identifying your species. And even when my machine named you, I couldn't believe it. I know where you're from." The Doctor stared at the screen, avoiding eye contact. "Forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable that you exist. I just wanted to say how sorry I am."

Elm stared at the exchange, lost. She'd asked the Doctor's species, but he never answered so she didn't push. Curious, she examined the Doctor's face for his reaction and froze. He was crying. It was subdued, only a few tears escaped before he wiped his eyes dry, but it was unmistakable. She wanted to comfort him, to do something, but the moment passed and soon the three of them were out of the tunnel.

They emerged in a large room on a suspended platform. Branching off from where they were was a narrow walkway, over which giant fans spun. Elm glanced over the side of the platform and immediately backed away from the large drop. "This place is one big safety hazard."

"A bit nippy, I suppose," the Doctor shrugged. "Fair do's, though, that's a great bit of air conditioning," the Doctor said, scanning a panel near them. "Nice and old-fashioned. Bet they call it retro."

"But it's so dumb," Elm interrupted, squinting at the walkway. "You've got to turn off the fans to get to the other side. Who missed that glaring design flaw?"

"Someone with money," the Doctor responded as the panel fell open. "Gotcha."

A small metal spider dropped out of the panel, scuttled across the floor and up the wall. Without a word the Doctor pointed his sonic at it, causing it to curl up and fall. Jabe, with cat-like reflexes, shot a vine out of her hand and caught the spider. She handed it to the Doctor.

"Good aim!" Elm exclaimed, approaching the two.

Jabe smiled. "Thank you, we are not supposed to show them in public."

"We won't tell anybody," the Doctor said, holding up the spider creature. "Now then, who's been bringing their pets on board?"

Elm poked the spider robot with a grimace. "Please tell me that's not the sort of pet you keep."

"Of course not," the Doctor scoffed. "This is for sabotage."

"EARTH DEATH IN TEN MINUTES."

The Doctor glanced up. "And the temperature is about to rocket. Come on."

The trio rushed out of the engine room, down the long maintenance duct, and back into the main body of Platform One. Elm tried to head to the observation deck, but the Doctor pulled her down a different hall. She soon realized why, as a group of staff were trying to shield themselves from a bright, burning light. It seemed to be coming through a door window.

"Get away from there," Elm shouted, pulling those who were too close to the light away. It seemed to be burning into the wall. "Doctor!"

"Just a moment," the Doctor snapped, using his sonic on a nearby panel.

"SUN FILTER RISING. SUN FILTER RISING."

Jabe turned to the Doctor, a look of horror on her face. "Is the Steward in there?"

"This is the Steward's office?" Elm questioned. As the light from the window dimmed, she was able to read 'STEWARD' in an odd font etched on the window. Scrunching up her nose, she muttered. "Don't tell me that smell is-"

The Doctor nodded and tucked his sonic away. "Yeah, that's him. No time to mourn, there's another Sun filter programmed to descend. Come on!"

While Jabe turned around to head back to the observation deck, Elm followed the Doctor. He stopped in front of a door with smoke filtering out of the cracks. The smell of burning wood and metal made Elm want to gag. As the Doctor worked on the panel, she called through the door.

"Is anyone in there? We're working on getting you out, alright?"

"Let me out!" shouted a familiar voice. "Open the door!"

Elm gasped. "Oh my God, Rose!"

"Well it would be you," the Doctor sighed as he continued to work on the panel. "Give us two ticks, alright?"

A moment later the ominous message from the computer changed and Elm sighed in relief. "Thank god."

The momentary victory was lost when the message changed once again.

"Stop mucking about!" Rose shouted from the other side. "It's going too far down the door!"

"Rose! Just hold on!" Elm said, before turning to the Doctor with wide eyes. "What's going on?"

"The computer's getting clever," the Doctor grunted as he stuck his sonic fully inside the panel. He sent Elm a wink as something struck. "Luckily. I'm better."

"SUN FILTER RISING, SUN FILTER RISING."

The Doctor made to open the door but found he couldn't. "It's jammed. Wait here Rose, alright?"

"Where else am I going to go?"

"We'll be back!" Elm called before following after the Doctor once more. Finally, they returned to the observation deck, where people were beginning to panic.

"Summon the Steward!" someone demanded.

Jabe, who was informing the group with the robot spider in hand, shook her head. "I'm afraid the Steward is dead."

"Who killed him?"

"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe!" Cassandra exclaimed. "He invited us. Talk to the Face! Talk to the Face!"

Elm shook her head and grasped the Doctor's hand for support. He didn't comment, but he didn't pull away when he took the metal spider from Jabe. "I talked to the Face of Boe earlier," Elm murmured. "He didn't seem the type."

"There's no need for speculation," the Doctor said, holding up the spider bot. "Easy way of finding out with these little pets," he placed it on the ground. "Let's send him back to master."

The spider scuttled across the room to the three cloaked figures standing in the corner. They looked familiar, but Elm didn't remember what they were called.

Cassandra, however, did. "The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. J'accuse!"

"Was it those silver ball things?" Elm questioned, remembering the unique gift. "Were they shells or something?"

"Basically. It's all really kind of obvious," the Doctor said. Releasing Elm's hand, he approached the Adherents. Elm watched, ready to lunge forward, as one of them attempted to swing at the Doctor. The Doctor, however, grabbed the arm and pulled it off. "If you stop and think about it, what is a repeated meme? Elm? Would you like a go?"

"A meme is an idea passed from person to person," the young woman answered immediately.

The Doctor grinned. "Exactly." He pulled a wire from the arm he was holding, making all the cloaked figures drop to the ground. "That's all they were, an idea."

"Well, that's a clever bit of wordplay," Elm said. "Were they robots?"

"Remote controlled droids, sort of like the spider bots," the Doctor replied, nudging said bot. "Nice cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo, go home."

Once again the spider bot scuttled across the room, but this time it halted in front of Cassandra. The Doctor didn't look very surprised, and neither did Cassandra as she rolled her eyes. "I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed. At arms!"

Her attendants raised their spray guns, and Elm crossed the room to stand beside the Doctor. Said man laughed at the attendants. "What are you going to do, moisturize me?"

"With acid," Cassandra corrected dully, causing Elm to flinch and take a step closer to her traveling companion. "Oh but you're too late anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. You all carried them as gifts, tax-free, past every code wall." She chuckled. "I'm not just a pretty face."

"But why would you do that?" Elm questioned. "I thought you were proud of your Earthen heritage. Why ruin a moment like this?"

"And you're still here," the Doctor added. "Who sabotages a ship while you're still inside?"

"I had hoped to manufacture a hostage situation," Cassandra admitted. "With myself as one of the victims, mind you. The compensation would have been enormous."

The Doctor scoffed. "Five billion years and it still comes down to money."

Cassandra glared at the Doctor. "Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human, Doctor. Me. Not that freaky little kid of yours or that mutt beside you."

Elm grasped the Doctor's hand but said nothing.

"Arrest her, the infidel," the small blue alien on the mobile chair demanded. Others murmured in agreement, but Cassandra's voice cut through theirs.

"Oh, shut it pixie. I've still got my final option."

"EARTH DEATH IN THREE MINUTES."

Cassandra grinned. "And here it comes. You're all just as useful dead. I have shares in your rival companies, and they'll triple in price as soon as you're gone. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn."

"Then you'll burn with us!" Jabe exclaimed, stepping forward. A few shouted in agreement but Cassandra just hummed.

"Oh, I am so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm so naughty. Spiders activate!"

Platform One shook as a series of explosions destabilized the observation room. Red warning lights flashed as the passengers shouted in alarm. Elm yelped when her footing shifted, but she soon was holding her ground, clutching the Doctor's hand in her own.

"Force fields gone with the planet about to explode," Cassandra cackled. "At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband." She giggled. "Shame on me. Well, bye bye darlings!" And, with a flash, Cassandra and her attendants were gone.

"HEAT LEVELS RISING. HEAT LEVELS RISING."

"Reset the computer!" someone exclaimed.

Jabe shook her head as the two other tree people she was with spoke to each other quietly. "Only the Steward would know how."

"No, we can do it by hand!" the Doctor exclaimed with a snap. Pulling Elm around, he headed toward the doors. "Jabe, you can come too. You lot, just chill!"

Jabe lead them to her room where they all entered the maintenance duct. Rushing down, they got to the engine room once again and the Doctor groaned. "And guess where the switch is."

Beyond the gigantic fans, there was a red metal box. Elm scoffed. "Of course it's over there."

"HEAT LEVELS RISING. EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE FIVE THOUSAND DEGREES."

The fans spun faster, trying to compensate for the massive heat wave hitting its systems. Approaching a metal box attached to the wall, the Doctor pulled down a lever to shut off the fans. It worked, for a moment, but the lever went back up as soon as he approached the walkway. Jabe approached the lever and pulled it down.

The Doctor shook his head. "You can't. The heat's going to vent through this place. You're made of wood."

"I'll do it then," Elm said, gently nudging Jabe away and replacing the tree woman's hands with her own. The metal was hot to the touch.

"It'll burn you," Jabe warned. "I felt the heat, and it is only going to increase."

Elm gave the tree woman a smile. "A burn won't kill me."

Jabe looked between the Doctor and Elm and sighed. "I will move to a safer place then." She shot the Doctor a look. "Don't waste any time, Time Lord." And at that, she left.

"Go on then Doctor. You heard the lady," Elm joked, trying to ignore how her hands were already beginning to hurt.

The Doctor nodded and approached the first fan. After two tries he made it through and approached the second. The temperature increased, and Elm took a deep breath to distract herself from the pain. The Doctor made it through the second fan no problem and was approaching the third when Elm's hands started to feel like they were on fire. Gritting her teeth, she watched the Doctor run through the last obstacle.

"HEAT LEVELS CRITICAL."

"Raise shields!" shouted the Doctor as he pulled down the reset switch.

Relief hit Elm like a sack of bricks, and she released the switch to fall backward, cradling her hands to her chest. Tears ran down her face as pain replaced adrenaline. The fans sped up for a moment but quickly decreased in speed as the temperature fell. The Doctor crossed the walkway with long strides.

"We did it," Elm let out a strained laugh and stood. "Do you think we missed the show?"

"Probably," the Doctor shrugged, pulling Elm's hands away from her to get a look at them. "I've got some burn cream in the TARDIS that should do the trick. But for now," he pulled a bottle from his pocket and got a pill out for Elm. "Pain pill, it should numb you until then. It'll dissolve under your tongue."

Opening her mouth, Elm let him toss it in. With a hum, she recognized the flavor. "Strawberry." The pain numbed almost instantly, and she let out a sigh of relief. "I love future medicine." Holding out a hand, Elm laughed in realization before crooking her arm instead. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

The observation deck was quiet, the only conversations whispered between associates. Elm winced when she saw the empty seat where the small blue alien was once sitting. Her heart ached when she realized she didn't even remember his name. Jabe, thankfully, was standing with her fellow trees, whole and well. Rose was in there as well, and Elm immediately went for a hug. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Rose murmured back before separating. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god, your hands."

"The Doctor gave me something for the pain," she said. Glancing over at the Doctor, she caught the deadly glare he was sending around the room. "Doc? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine," the Doctor responded shortly, pacing. Rose looped her arm through Elm's as they watched him. "I'm full of ideas, bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two," he held up two fingers before crossing the room to the ostrich egg display. He smashed the egg, revealing a small device. "This feed needs to be hidden nearby. Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleport feed can be reversed." He twisted the device and Cassandra appeared in the center of the room.

"Oh you should have seen their little alien faces," the last human gloated as she slowly came into focus. Her eyes widened when she realized where she was. "Oh."

"The last human."

She laughed nervously. "So you passed my test. Bravo. That makes you eligible to join, er, the Human Club."

"People died!" Elm exclaimed, pointing at the empty seat. "This isn't a joke."

The Doctor glared at the skin woman. "You murdered them."

"It depends on your definition of people-" Cassandra tried to defend.

"Stop it, stop talking. You've lost your right," Elm interjected, her face going red. Stepping away from Rose, she pointed an accusing finger at Cassandra. "Listen, I tried to be nice, but people have died and you want to debate the definition of people?" She laughed a dry and harsh sound. "You are the most bigoted individual I have ever met. Five billion years into the future and the last human is a bigoted, greedy brain in a bottle. What sort of message are you sending to the stars? That this is what humans are?"

The Doctor stared at Cassandra gravely. Reaching out a hand, he pulled Elm away from the piece of skin. "Listen. She's creaking."

"What?" Cassandra exclaimed. In vain, she tried to look around as the skin she was grafted on creaked and dried out, turning a sickly grey color. "I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturize me, moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? It's too hot!"

"You're the one who raised the temperature," the Doctor pointed out. Elm went pale and leaned against Rose, looking away from the sight.

"Have pity!" Cassandra cried. "Moisturize me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I'm sorry. I'll do anything."

"Help her," Rose murmured to the Doctor, her arm wrapped around Elm.

With a shake of his head, the Doctor stared Cassandra down. "Everything has its time."

"I'm too young!"

Cassandra exploded with a splat, scattering blood and skin everywhere.

Turning away, the Doctor headed for the exit. "Everything dies."

OoOoOoO

Hours later, with everyone gone, Rose and Elm stood in the now clean and empty observation room. The Sun, large and bright, was all that was left outside. The Earth was destroyed, leaving only it's debris to float where it once was.

"The end of the Earth," Rose murmured. "It's gone. We were too busy saving ourselves to see it go." Her voice cracked. "All those years, all that history, and no one was even looking."

Elm wrapped her arm around Rose, careful with her freshly bandaged hands.

The Doctor's voice broke their mourning silence. "Come with me."

OoOoOoO

Rose and Elm stepped out of the TARDIS together, side by side, onto a busy London street. People walked around them, going about their daily lives, and tears rose to their eyes as they looked at their home.

"You think it'll last forever," the Doctor began, coming up between them. "People, cars, concrete. But it won't. One day it'll all be gone." He took a breath. "My planet's gone. Dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust before it's time."

"What happened?" Rose asked in a murmur.

"There was a war," the Doctor responded simply. "And we lost."

"And your people?" Elm questioned, tilting her head to look at him. "Jabe called you a… Time Lord."

The Doctor nodded. "I'm the last. They're all gone now. I'm left traveling on my own 'cos there's no one else left."

Rose reached out hesitantly and grabbed his hand. "There's me."

"And me," Elm looped her arm with his free one, her hand still too sensitive to hold.

"You've seen how dangerous it is," the Doctor said, looking down at them. "Do you want to go home?"

"I don't know. I want," Rose took a breath and sighed contently. "Oh, can you smell chips?"

Elm laughed. "You still owe me some, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," Rose said with a laugh. Peeking up, she looked at the Doctor. "How 'bout you Doctor? You want some chips?"

"Rose is paying," Elm interjected with a toothy grin.

The Doctor looked from Rose to Elm and choked on a laugh. "Yeah, sure, chips."

Rose grinned and pulled his hand, which in turn pulled Elm, up the street toward the closest chippy. "Come on then, God, how long has it been since I ate?"

OoOoOoO

Hours later, long after Rose went to bed, Elm headed to the console room. She was clean and fresh from the shower and had one of her blankets wrapped around her shoulders.

"Doctor?" she called as she entered the large central room. "Are you here?"

The Doctor's head popped up from the other side of the console. "What is it?"

Shuffling from foot to foot, Elm cleared her throat. "Well, you say the TARDIS can go anywhere."

"It can, yeah."

"Do you think you could take us to just before the Earth was destroyed?" she questioned. "Not on Platform One, but just, in the TARDIS. If it's possible."

The Doctor stood from the ground and gave her a look. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I never got to see, and the Earth deserves a proper send-off, I think. I asked Rose if she'd like to watch too, but she didn't seem too interested."

With a scrutinizing eye, the Doctor looked Elm over. Coming to some sort of conclusion, he turned to the console and adjusted some controls. The TARDIS lit up briefly before going dark. Nodding to himself, the Doctor flicked one last switch before opening the doors wide. Elm gasped at the view.

They were drifting in space, the Sun and the Earth below them. It was so much more peaceful and raw than it was on Platform One, with no glass separating her and the sight.

"I adjusted the oxygen shields," the Doctor said as Elm sat with her legs hanging out. "You're fine for ten feet on all sides."

"Thank you." Leaning against the side of the TARDIS door, Elm watched the planet's slow movements. The bright blue and green stood out from the darkness of space, and the stars were all absent with how bright the sun was. Pure power radiated from the orb, and Elm felt humbled.

Time passed in quiet, and the Doctor joined her with his feet hanging out as well. Elm reached between them to grasp his hand in hers.

"They don't hurt?" he asked, glancing down at her bandaged hand before looking back up at space.

Elm shook her head. "I'm fine." The Sun was just beginning to reach the Earth, causing the planet to break up. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Your loss," she cleared her throat and didn't dare look at him. "It hasn't been long, has it?"

It was quiet for a moment as the Doctor thought. "No. You-" he cleared his throat. "You were the first face this face saw, actually. After the war. Just wanted to deal with the Nestene and ended up taking in two strays."

"Oh, rude," Elm laughed. "We already established that you'd be dead without Rose and me, Doc."

"Thanks," the Doctor replied. Looking down at her, he narrowed his eyes. "There's something I'm forgetting."

Startled at the sudden shift in conversation, Elm furrowed her brow. "What?"

The Doctor shook his head and stood. "Nothing. You can stay as long as you like, but once you're done, close the doors."

And then he was gone.


	4. The Unquiet Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate title: Are ghosts real?
> 
> "This is last call," the Doctor said, his voice coming from overhead speakers. "Christmas in Naples, 1860. You've got five minutes before we leave without you."

Alternate title: Are ghosts real?

Elm couldn't bring herself to leave the TARDIS's library. A stack of books sat next to the couch she laid on, some read, some waiting to be. There was so much to catch up on! Sure, most of the books in her reading pile were from the future, but she couldn't help but be curious. The Doctor had a complete collection of J.K. Rowling's works. It was too tempting.

She didn't dare ask the alien man if she could read future books, too scared he'd say no.

So, with how enthralled she was, the Doctor's voice coming over the speakers startled her. Bad. Falling off the couch, excuses ready, Elm looked around the room. There was… no one there?

"This is last call," the Doctor said, his voice coming from overhead speakers. "Christmas in Naples, 1860. You've got five minutes before we leave without you."

Eyes widening, Elm scrambled off the floor and gently placed her book page side down. Looking down to take inventory, Elm was satisfied with her outfit. She had shoes, at least.

Down the hall, two rights, two lefts and through the pool she ran, all the way to console room. The Doctor and Rose waited for her there, Rose dressed up in a period typical dress.

"Rose, you look beautiful!" Elm complimented.

"Thanks," the younger woman replied with a bashful smile. "Are you going to change too?"

Elm glanced down at her attire and shrugged. "No time, I'm late, aren't I?"

"You'll just have to deal with the scandal," the Doctor confirmed, gesturing to the door. "Ladies first."

Rose laughed and lead the way, stepping out of the time ship and into the street. Elm grabbed a coat off the rack as she followed, pulling it around herself to combat the cold. Snow drifted down onto the time travelers as they looked around. It certainly looked like 1860, with old-fashioned buildings and gas lamps lining the streets.

The Doctor offered both the girls an arm. "To history?"

Ignoring the Doctor's offer, Elm grabbed Rose's hand and tugged her forward. "C’mon, Rosie!"

"Oi!"

With how late it was, there weren't many people out. A horse-drawn carriage passed them on the street, and Rose gasped. "Oh my god!"

"I know," Elm agreed, halting to take in the scenery. They got a few odd looks from passersby, but most of those out were too absorbed in their own activities to care. Passing in front of the girls, the Doctor paid for a newspaper and frowned at what he saw. Elm and Rose approached him to see what was wrong.

He made a noise in the back of his throat. "I got the flight a bit wrong."

"I don't care," Rose said, voice faint. She was too busy staring at the nearby builds to pay attention to him.

"It's 1869, not 1860."

"Close enough," Elm shrugged, eyes drawn to another carriage as it passed.

"We're in Cardiff."

Both girls froze and looked back to the Doctor.

"Cardiff?" Elm choked on a laugh.

Rose sighed. "Right."

"Can I see that?" Elm questioned, gesturing to the newspaper. The Doctor gave it to her with a shrug. Reading through the front summaries, she gasped at what she saw. Flipping a few pages further confirmed what she read. "Oh, wow."

"What is it?" Rose asked, trying to get a look at what Elm was reading.

"We've got to get to the theater!" Elm exclaimed, turning toward the newspaper boy. "Where's the theater?"

Startled at the sudden question, he just pointed down the street. Elm took off in that direction, leaving Rose and the Doctor to follow after. The Doctor caught up first, given he wasn't in a skirt. "What's going on at the theater?"

She opened her mouth to explain, but was cut off by screams coming from a nearby building. The Doctor ran off this time, Elm following close after with a stumbling Rose.

"What's going on?" Rose demanded through labored breathing.

Neither the Doctor nor Elm bothered answering as they rushed into the building. Coincidentally, it was the theater. People were streaming out, so the trio had to push through the panicking crowd to get into the stage area.

Elm froze when she saw the source of the panic. A ghostly entity flew around the room, screaming and cackling. It circled the room once before entering the body of an old woman sitting in the middle of the audience. The woman slumped backward upon entry, out cold. Fighting back her fear, Elm took a breath. Two people, a man, and a woman, picked up the woman and dragged her out, Rose hot on their heels.

"Elm!" Rose shouted, snapping Elm out of it. "C’mon!"

Shaking her head, Elm followed her friend back out of the building.

The woman who stole the old lady away was trying to pacify her friend. "It's a tragedy, Miss. Don't you worry yourself. Me and the Master will deal with it. The fact is, this poor lady's been taken with brain fever, and we have to get her to the infirmary."

"That's not what I saw!" Rose argued, trying to get into the carriage they stuffed the old woman into.

Elm took a hesitant step forward and managed to touch the woman's forehead. She jumped back almost immediately. "She's dead!"

"What did you do to her?!" Rose demanded.

Something hard hit Elm from behind, sending her sprawling out onto the ground. Dazed and confused, she could hear Rose struggling, but couldn't will herself to get up. Her fight left her entirely when a rag was pressed to her nose. She was out cold.

OoOoOoO

"Elm!" A voice shouted. Someone was nudging her awake. "You've got to wake up!" Blinking her eyes open, Elm woke to Rose's face very close to her own. Her friend's eyebrows were furrowed. "Are you alright?"

Elm sat up, wincing as she went. The back of her head throbbed. "I've got a bump, but I think I'm fine. Where are we?"

The room was dark and had both empty and filled coffins lying around. Rose and Elm were laying on a raised platform in the center of the room, from which they got up quickly. It was cold.

"That old man must have drugged us!" Rose exclaimed, seething with anger. "He felt me up. I swear he did."

The gas lights in the room flickered as a ghostly blue glow rose out of them. Elm felt her stomach sink as it went into one of the cadavers, a man. He lifted himself out of his coffin with a moan.

Elm sucked in a breath. "Oh, my God."

"You're kidding me, yeah?" Rose said with a nervous laugh. "This is a prank. A joke on us, isn't it?"

The blue light went into the body of an old woman, making her rise from her coffin as well.

Grabbing her friend's arm, Elm backed away toward the door. "I don't think this is a joke, Rose."

The bodies moaned louder. The girls rushed the last of the way to the door.

Rose tried the knob. It was locked. "What do we do?"

"Hello?" Elm called, banging on the door. "Help, please! Help!"

Heart pounding in her chest, Elm looked around for an escape. She spotted a window across the room. Before she could even try to enact her panic driven plan, one of the creatures grabbed Rose. It cupped its hand over her mouth.

"Rose!"

The door slammed open, its handle hitting the wall with a loud bang. There stood the Doctor, a furious look on his face. He grabbed Rose and yanked her away from the zombies. Elm, unrestricted as she was, rushed to stand behind him as well.

A familiar looking man stood to the Doctor's left. "This must be some sort of illusion!"

"No, the dead are walking," the Doctor replied, not taking his eyes off the zombies. "Rose, Elm, are you alright?"

"Fine," Elm squeaked.

"I'm fine, too," Rose responded, glancing at the other man. "Who's your friend?"

"Charles Dickens."

Elm spun around to get a better look. "The Charles Dickens?"

"Yes, I know, very exciting," the Doctor said before Elm could continue. "But let's deal with the imminent threat first." He focused on the now stopped corpses. "My name's the Doctor. Who are you, and what do you want?"

The corpses answered in unison. "Open the rift. We're dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us!" They let out a pained sound, and the blue mist flew back into the lamps from whence they came. Elm flinched at the sound of bodies hitting the floor.

OoOoOoO

They regrouped in the sitting room. Elm wanted to leave and never come back, but the Doctor seemed determined to investigate. She sat on a stool next to the alien man, clenched hands shaking in her lap. The girl from before, assistant and servant to the mortician, gave her a cup of tea to settle her nerves. It was made to her exact tastes.

Rose, meanwhile, was interrogating the old man who kidnapped them. "First, you hit Elm. Then you drug and kidnap us. Oh, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander!" she spat out, eyes cold. "You dirty old man."

"I will not be spoken to like this!" he objected.

"Then," Rose continued, still seething. "You stick us in a room full of zombies and leave us to die! So come on, talk!"

"It's not my fault!" the old man, Sneed, burst. "It's this house," he whispered. "It's always had a reputation. I never had much of a bother until a few months back. Then, the stiffs," he got a sharp look from Charles Dickens and coughed into his hand. "Er, dear departed, started getting restless."

The author laughed. "Tommyrot!"

Sneed raised his voice defensively. "You witnessed it! Can't keep the beggars down, sir. They walk. And it's the queerest thing, but they hang onto scraps."

Elm narrowed her eyes at the man. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Sneed began. "They remember things, from just before they died. One fellow walked into his own memorial service. That old lady went to Mr. Dickens' performance, just as she planned."

Mr. Dickens scoffed. "Morbid fancy."

"Oh, Charles," the Doctor said, frowning. "You were there."

"I saw nothing but an illusion," the author insisted.

"The zombies that tried to get at Rose and I sure weren't illusions," Elm said, shivering at the memory.

"Impressive illusions," Mr. Dickens doubled down. "But illusions, nonetheless."

The Doctor cut in before any more could be said. "If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time." He turned toward Sneed. "What about the gas?"

The old man shrugged. "That's new, sir. Never seen anything like that before."

"It's getting stronger. The rift's getting wider, and something's sneaking through." As the Doctor spoke, Mr. Dickens rose from his seat and left the room in a huff. After a moment of hesitation, Elm followed.

"Mr. Dickens."

"What is it?" the man snapped. "More ghost stories?"

"No," she paused and took a breath. "I'd just like to say that I really admire your work. I have a complete collection at home, and they're worn from how much I've read them. It's an honor to meet you."

He seemed struck for a moment before nodding. "Oh. Well, thank you."

Elm smiled and held out a hand. "Thank you, for writing them."

The author was about to reach out as well when a faint sound reached both his and Elm's ears. Both of them turned toward one of the gas lamps. It was whispering. Elm took a step back from the fixture, hairs on her arms standing on end. Mr. Dickens let out a huff and stormed down the hall.

Elm was about to follow when the Doctor exited the sitting room. "You get a chance to meet him?"

"Yeah," Elm replied with a nervous smile. "This is really amazing, despite the ghosts."

The Doctor smirked. "You afraid of a whispering lamp?"

"And walking corpses!" Elm defended. Sighing, she peered down the hall where Mr. Dickens went. "I dunno, Doc. Aliens I can handle, but ghosts and zombies?"

Snatching her hand from where it was clenched at her side, the Doctor tugged her down the hall. "Let's figure this out then."

"Please, or else I'm going to have nightmares."

They found Mr. Dickens looking through an empty coffin. The Doctor watched the man for a moment before speaking up. "Checking for strings?"

Mr. Dickens glanced back at them before continuing his search. "Wires, perhaps. There must be some mechanism behind this fraud."

"Oh, come on, Charles," the Doctor sighed. He approached the man and patted his shoulder. "All right, I shouldn't have told you to shut up. I'm sorry. But you've got one of the best minds in the world. You saw those gas creatures."

"They really weren't ghosts, then?" Elm questioned, taking a step into the room. She didn't get close to the bodies.

"Of course not. What does the human body do when it decomposes? It breaks down and produces gas. Perfect home for these gas creatures," the Doctor explained. "They can slip inside and use it as a vehicle."

"Stop it," Mr. Dickens demanded. "Are you saying that I have the world entirely wrong?"

"Not wrong," the Doctor replied gently. "There's just more to learn."

Mr. Dickens's face grew sad. "I've always rallied against the fantasists. I love an illusion as much as the next man, but that's exactly what they are. Illusions. The real world is something else, and I've dedicated myself to that. Injustices, the great social causes. I hoped that I was a force for good." His voice cracked. "Now you tell me that the real world is a realm of specters and jack-o'-lanterns? Have I wasted my brief span here, Doctor? Has it all been for nothing?"

"We all do our best to make the world a better place, while we're here," Elm said in a murmur. "We can only hope that we've made the right decisions."

"Right that," the Doctor agreed before turning away. "Now then, Elm, let's see where Rose has gone. I've got an idea of what we can do to sort this out."

OoOoOoO

They found Rose in the pantry with Gwyneth. The Doctor paused just out of the door to listen in on the conversation.

"You're from London," the girl began. "I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing around half naked, for shame. And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky. No, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying," she gasped for a breath. "And you, you and your friend, you've flown so far. Further than anyone. The things you've seen. The darkness, the big bad wolf," something clattered to the floor as Gwyneth took a stuttering breath. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Miss. I can't help it. Since I was a little girl, my mum said that I had the sight. She told me to hide it."

The Doctor stepped into the doorway, followed by Elm. "But it's getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?"

The girls in the pantry jumped in surprise at their sudden presence. Gwyneth nodded. "All that time, sir. Every night, voices in my head."

"You grew up on top of the rift," the Doctor said, voice soft. "You're part of it, the key."

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir," she lowered her voice. "Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts."

The Doctor grinned. "That should help, you can show us what to do."

"Wait," Elm cut in. "What exactly is this plan of yours?"

"We're going to have a seance."

OoOoOoO

"I really, really don't know about this," Elm murmured under her breath. "What if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will go wrong," the Doctor replied with a scoff.

"No, no, I've attended one of these things before," Elm insisted, wringing her hands under the table. "At a party. It was stupid. The day after it the person in charge of the whole thing died."

"I'm sure that was just a coincidence," the Doctor said, grabbing one of her hands. "Or maybe it wasn't. Either way, nothing's going to go wrong with this one."

Elm frowned but didn't argue.

"We must join hands," Gwyneth urged, taking the hands of the people closest to her. "That's how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists."

Mr. Dickens rose from his seat. "I can't take part in this."

"Humbug?" the Doctor said in a mocking tone. "Come on, open mind."

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask!" the man exclaimed. "Seances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeezebox. This girl knows nothing."

"Now, don't antagonize her," the Doctor said before grinning. "I love a happy medium."

Elm choked on a laugh, some of the tension draining from her shoulders.

Rose laughed as well. "I can't believe you just said that."

Looking pleased with himself, the Doctor turned back to Mr. Dickens. "Come on, we might need you."

The author sat back down, albeit reluctantly. Those sitting at the table joined hands, Elm grasping the Doctor's and Rose's tightly. Rose squeezed back in an attempt to comfort her friend.

Ready to begin, the young servant girl closed her eyes. "Speak to us. Are you there?" she paused. "Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden."

A cold feeling rushed over Elm, and she shivered in response. Low whispering could be heard all around them, and Elm tightened her grip on her friends.

Rose made a sharp noise. "Can you hear that?"

Mr. Dickens scoffed. "Nothing can happen. This is folly."

"You cannot tell me you don't feel that," Elm whispered. The hairs on her arms stood on end.

"I can see them," Gwyneth gasped. "I can feel them."

The same ghostly blue light from before drifted above them. The whispers grew louder.

"What's it saying?" Rose questioned, looking up at the lights.

"They can't get through the rift," the Doctor explained in a rush. "Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Look deep and allow them through."

Gwyneth opened her eyes. "I can't!"

The Doctor shook his head. "You can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link."

The girl took a breath and closed her eyes once more. "Yes."

Ghostly figures rose behind her as her eyes snapped open. Elm took a stuttering breath.

"Great god!" Sneed gasped. "Spirits from the other side."

"The other side of the universe," the Doctor amended.

They spoke in childlike voices, Gwyneth along with them. "Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us."

"What do you want us to do?" the Doctor asked.

"The rift. Take the girl to the rift and make the bridge."

The Doctor pushed on. "What for?"

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction."

"Why? What happened?" the Doctor continued.

"Once we had a physical form like you, then the war came."

"War? What war?" Mr. Dickens demanded.

"The Time War," the beings answered. Elm felt the Doctor's hand convulse. "The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species, but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state."

The Doctor took a breath and nodded. "That's why you need the corpses."

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us."

"But we can't," Rose cut in.

"Why not?" the Doctor demanded.

"It's not," she struggled for words. "I mean, it's not-"

"Not decent?" the Doctor exclaimed. "Not polite? It could save their lives!"

The Gelth spoke again. "Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth."

All at once the beings disappeared, flying back into the gas lamps. As soon as they were gone, Gwyneth collapsed on the table. Rose stood immediately to help. "Gwyneth? Are you okay?"

Mr. Dickens stood as well, stumbling back from his chair. "It's true. It's all true."

Elm just clenched and unclenched her hands.

OoOoOoO

After helping Gwyneth to a nearby chair to be tended to by Rose, Elm stood beside the Doctor. Mr. Dickens was drinking some alcohol by a lit fireplace.

"So they're not ghosts," Elm said after a long silence. "They're beings from across the rift, whatever that is, that want to use dead bodies as physical forms." She frowned down at her hands. "But how does that even work? Would the bodies keep on decomposing? And we never got a number from them, of how many they are. I really can't imagine this going over well with everyone."

The Doctor gave her a stern look. "What, you want to just leave them to die?"

"I didn't say that!" Elm replied, meeting his gaze. "But you can't deny there are a lot of holes in this plan."

Gwyneth groaned as she woke up, and Rose patted her head with a damp towel. "It's all right, you just sleep."

"But my angels, Miss," Gwyneth tried to stand, but Rose kept her in place and handed her a glass of water. "They came, didn't they? They need me?"

The Doctor nodded. "They do need you, Gwyneth. You're their only chance."

Rose glared at the alien man. "Leave her alone. She's exhausted, and not fighting your battles."

"I still don't understand," Sneed admitted. "What exactly are they?"

"Aliens," the Doctor replied.

"Like foreigners, you mean?"

The Doctor chuckled. "Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there," he pointed up.

Still not understanding, Sneed quirked a brow. "Brecon?"

"Close," the Doctor said. "And they've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff, but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through, and even then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long before they revert to gas and hide in the pipes."

"Which is why they need the girl," Mr. Dickens surmised with a nod.

Rose frowned. "They're not having her."

"But she can help!" the Doctor insisted. "Living on the rift, she's become a part of it. She can open it and make a bridge. Let them through."

Mr. Dickens looked awed. "Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts, but beings from another world."

"It's a lot more reassuring than vengeful spirits, at least," Elm said with a shiver.

The Doctor nodded. "And it's a good system. It just might work," he glanced down at Elm. "With time."

Rose stood and approached the Doctor. "You can't let them run around inside of dead people."

"Why not?" the Doctor questioned. "It's like recycling."

"Seriously, you can't," Rose insisted, raising her voice.

"Seriously, I can," the Doctor replied, raising his voice to match.

"Well, nothing's going to get done if we bicker," Elm stepped in, placing herself between them. "This is a really morally grey area, yes, but we can't just let the Gelth die. At the same time, I think it'll distress a lot of people to see their loved ones back from the dead."

"Those bodies were once living people!" Rose objected. "It's wrong. We should respect them, even in death."

"Do you carry a donor car?" the Doctor questioned.

"That's different," Rose said, glancing away. "That's-"

"It's different morality. Get used to it or go home. You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying," the Doctor turned to Elm. "We can worry about the logistics after they're safe."

"I don't care," Rose exclaimed. "They're not using her."

Gwyneth sat up in her chair. "Don't I get a say, Miss?"

Rose turned around and gave the girl a patient smile. "Look, you don't understand what's going on."

"You would say that Miss," Gwyneth said, looking at the floor. "It's very clear inside your head. You think I'm stupid."

"That's not fair."

"It's true, though." Gwyneth smiled gently. "Things might be different from where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind. My angels need me." She turned toward the Doctor. "What do I have to do?"

The Doctor frowned. "You don't have to do anything."

"It's your choice, Gwyneth," Elm added. "No one's forcing you."

The girl shook her head. "They've been singing to me since I was a child. Tell me."

"First, we need to find the rift." The Doctor turned to Sneed. "This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than the rest. Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"

The old man thought for a moment. "That would be the morgue."

OoOoOoO

The group was quiet as they walked into the basement, where corpses laid on tables under white sheets. Some had been sitting for a while, their skin turning purple. Elm stuck close to the Doctor, feeling uneasy in the cold space.

The Doctor hummed. "Talk about bleak."

"This thing is, Doctor," Rose started. "The Gelth don't succeed, 'cos I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in 1869."

"Time's in a flux," the Doctor explained. "It's changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten in an instant. Nothing is safe."

Elm swallowed thickly. "So we could cease to exist at any moment?"

The Doctor gave her a long look and was about to open his mouth when Mr. Dickens spoke. "Doctor, I think the room is getting colder."

"Here they come," Rose said with a shiver.

A figure formed itself out of blue gas and stood under the stone archway of the morgue. It sounded happy. "You've come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him."

"Promise you won't hurt her," Rose demanded.

"Hurry," the Gelth insisted. "Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth."

The Doctor stepped forward. "I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"

"I'm sure the Doctor knows plenty of planets where you can live and feel the sun like you want," Elm assured them despite her uneasiness.

Gwyneth let out a happy laugh. "My angles! I can help them live."

"Where's the weakest point?" the Doctor questioned.

"Here," the gas being moved away. "Beneath the arch."

The young servant girl rushed under the stone to stand in front of the figure. Rose stepped forward as well and put a hand on Gwyneth's shoulder. "You don't have to do this."

"I do," Gwyneth said with a shake of her head. "I have to save my angels."

"Establish the bridge," the Gelth instructed. "Reach out into the void!"

"Yes," Gwyneth breathed. "I can see you! I can. Come!"

"Bridgehead establishing."

"Come to me," Gwyneth called. "Come, poor lost souls!"

The Gelth above Gwyneth laughed. "It has begun!"

Gwyneth opened her mouth and blue gas filtered out. It filled the room with apparitions. The Gelth above Gwyneth changed from blue to orange and smiled. "She has given herself to the Gelth. We ascend. The Gelth will come with force."

Even more apparitions appeared, some flying into corpses. Elm tried to get as far from them as possible.

"You said you were few in number!" Mr. Dickens shouted.

"Mr. Dickens!" Elm exclaimed. "You need to go! While you still can!"

The Gelth laughed. "A few billions. And all of us in need of corpses."

As it spoke, even more appeared, filling the room to the brim. The corpses already occupied rose from their slabs and turned toward Elm, Rose, the Doctor, and Sneed.

"Gwyneth!" Sneed shouted. "Listen to your master! Stop this! It's gone far enough. Stop dabbling and leave these things alone!" He approached the young girl, and the corpses surrounded him.

"Mister Sneed!" Rose gasped, though it was too late. One of the corpses grabbed his neck and snapped it with a sickening crack. Elm flinched at the noise and backed away with her friends as a Gelth took him over.

"I think it's gone a bit wrong," the Doctor admitted.

"I hate ghosts!" Elm squeaked, her back hitting a barred gate, cutting off her escape

Sneed, or rather, the Gelth, spoke. "I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come march with us. We need bodies."

"Gwyneth!" the Doctor called. "Stop them! Send them back!"

The Gelth continued speaking. "Four more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels."

"Doctor, this world of yours is too much for me," Mr. Dickens exclaimed, rushing out of the room and up the stairs.

Spinning around, the Doctor opened the metal gate, allowing Rose and Elm through before entering himself. He locked it behind him, trapping them in a tiny section of the morgue. Elm gripped her friend's hands.

"I trusted you!" the Doctor shouted. "I pitied you!"

The Gelth spoke through all of the corpses. "We don't want your pity. We want this world."

"Not while I'm alive!" the Doctor said, taking a defiant stance.

"Then live no more."

Rose shook from head to toe. "We can't die. We haven't even been born yet. It's impossible."

The Doctor looked down at his companions, a sad look on his face. "I'm sorry."

"It's 1869," Rose insisted. "How can we die now?"

"Time isn't a straight line," the Doctor explained. "It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth." He frowned. "It's all my fault. I brought you two here."

"We wanted to come," Elm objected.

"What about me?" the Doctor exclaimed. "I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party! Now I'm going to die in a dungeon. In Cardiff."

Rose sniffled. "Well, I'm very glad I met you, Doctor."

"Me too," Elm agreed.

The Doctor looked at his companions and smiled. "We'll go down fighting."

"Doctor!" a familiar voice broke the moment. Mr. Dickens ran into the room. "Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Fill the room with it, now!"

"What?" the Doctor shouted back. "What're you doing?"

"Turn it all on, flood the place!" Mr. Dickens repeated.

The Doctor thought for a moment before letting out a laugh. "Brilliant. Gas."

Rose shook her head. "What, so we choke to death instead?"

"Am I correct, Doctor?" Mr. Dickens questioned. "These creatures are gaseous."

"Fill the room with gas, and it'll draw them out of the host!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!"

"Oh, like before!" Elm gasped, remembering how the creatures were drawn into the lamps.

Behind the three was a gas pipe, which they pulled out of the wall. Both Elm and Rose coughed and tried to cover their faces, though only Elm succeeded. She was glad she brought her jacket because zipping it up and burrowing her face into it proved to be decent protection.

Within a moment the Gelth were pulled from their hosts and into the air. They spun round and round the room, screaming in anger as they went. Elm let herself relax as the corpses fell to the ground, and they were able to leave through the gate.

They approached Gwyneth and Elm felt that something was wrong. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Gwyneth, send them back," the Doctor pleaded. "They lied. They're not angels."

"Liars?" the poor girl questioned.

"Your parents would tell you the same," the Doctor said. "They'd give you strength. You need to send them back!"

"Doctor, the gas," Rose gasped, trying to cover her mouth and nose with her hand.

The Doctor waved them off. "Get out, all of you. I'll get Gwyneth." He turned back toward the girl. "Remember that world you saw? Rose's world? None of it will exist unless you send the Gelth back."

"I can't send them back," Gwyneth responded. "But I can hold them here. Get out." She pulled a box of matches out of her pocket.

Rose gasped and coughed on her breath. "You can't!"

"Leave this place!" Gwyneth shouted.

"Get out now," the Doctor commanded. "I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Go!"

Mr. Dickens, being close to Rose, pulled the struggling girl out of the room. During this time, it finally clicked in Elm's mind what was wrong with Gwyneth. She let out a breath. "Not without you Doc."

"You need to-"

"She's not breathing," Elm argued. Reaching out and touching the girl's wrist, she confirmed her suspicions. "She hasn't got a pulse. She's dead, Doctor.

"What?" the Doctor frantically pressed his hand to the girl's neck. His gaze saddened. "Oh, I'm so sorry." He stepped forward and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you."

Elm sniffled and hugged the girl. "I'm sorry."

With nothing more to say, the Doctor took Elm's hand and they ran. They ran up the stairs and through the long halls of the building until they got to the street. The Doctor slammed the door as Elm took deep breaths of fresh air.

The building exploded into flames behind them, lighting up the night.

Rose, who was waiting with Mr. Dickens, ran forward and embraced Elm. "What were you thinking?" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you follow us?" She looked around frantically. "Where's Gwyneth?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry. She closed the rift."

"At such a cost," Mr. Dickens closed in eyes in mourning. "Poor child."

"She gave herself to the Gelth, Rose," Elm explained, rubbing circles into her friends back. "She wasn't breathing."

"But she helped us," Rose argued. "Spoke to us, saved us. How could she have done that if she was dead?"

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy," Mr. Dickens said in a solemn tone.

For a long moment, they all stood in the snowy night, staring at the burning building.

Rose broke the quiet. "She saved the world, and no one will ever know."

OoOoOoO

The time travelers and Mr. Dickens left before people came to put out the fire. The Doctor lead them all back to the TARDIS.

"Right then, Charlie boy. I've just got to go into my," he glanced at the TARDIS, searching for words. "My shed. Won't be long."

Rose smiled at the author. "What are you going to do now?"

Mr. Dickens laughed. "I shall take the mail coach back to London, post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital."

"That's a great idea!" Elm said, patting his shoulder. "I'm happy you've opened your mind and expanded your horizons."

"As am I," he replied. "This morning I thought I knew everything. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions! I'm inspired. I must write about them."

Rose cocked her head to the side. "Do you think that's wise?"

"I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer will not be of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth."

"Good luck with it," the Doctor gave him a solid handshake. "Nice to meet you. Fantastic."

Rose shook his hand as well and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Bye, then."

Mr. Dickens blushed. "Oh, my dear. How modern."

"I know I said this before, but it's truly been an honor to meet you," Elm shook the authors hand rapidly. "Good luck with your writing."

"It has been nice to meet you all, but I don't understand," he said. The Doctor paused as he was halfway into the TARDIS. "In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?"

The Doctor grinned down at the man. "You'll see."

"It's one riddle after another with you," Mr. Dickens shook his head. "But after all these revelations, there's still one mystery you haven't explained. Who are you? Who are all of you?"

The time travelers stared at him, at a loss for what to say. After a beat of silence, the Doctor spoke. "Just friends, passing through."

"But you have knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you any longer, but I must ask. My books," he seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Doctor, do they last?"

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"For a long, long time," Elm added.

"Forever," the Doctor finished before stepping fully into the blue box. "C’mon, Rose, Elm. Time to go."

Rose stepped in as well.

"In the box?" Mr. Dickens exclaimed. "All three of you? How shall you fit?"

Elm laughed and waved, closing the TARDIS doors behind her. They gathered by the console's monitor to look at the author through the screen.

"Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?" Rose questioned.

The Doctor shook his head. "In a weeks time it's 1870, the year he dies. He'll never get to tell his story."

"But at least he'll be happy," Elm said.

"Old Charlie boy," the Doctor sighed and pressed a lever down. "Let's give him one last surprise."

OoOoOoO

Elm retreated to her room as soon as the TARDIS dematerialized. After pulling off her boots, she laid out on her bed, mind racing. Sniffling, she tried to hold back tears as she thought on Gwyneth. That poor, poor girl. Then she remembered those people who died on Platform One. And those on the Titanic. And Krakatoa. And-

Her room suddenly felt much too small. Standing up, she paced. She needed something to do. Anything.

A door appeared on her wall.

She approached it slowly, wiping away the tears that managed to force their way through. Turning the knob, she peeked through and sighed happily. The library.

Navigating the shelves upon shelves of books, she found her couch and book pile once again. There was, however, a new addition sitting atop the rest. She picked it up curiously.

"A Christmas Carol," she read as she settled onto the couch. "By Charles Dickens."


	5. Aliens of London and World War Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate title: What's a Slitheen's weakness?
> 
> "Doctor."  
> Said alien man didn't bother glancing at Elm as he tinkered under the console. "What?"  
> "I was wondering, could we make a quick stop home?" she questioned.

Alternate title: What's a Slitheen's weakness?

"Doctor."

Said alien man didn't bother glancing at Elm as he tinkered under the console. "What?"

"I was wondering, could we make a quick stop home?" she questioned.

"Why?" the Doctor asked. "S'not like you need clothes or groceries. We're stocked for months."

"Well, for one thing, Rose misses her mum."

Pulling himself out of the complex machinery, he gave Elm a look. "You want to use my space-time ship to go home because she misses her mum? I'm not a taxi service!"

"Give her a break, she's only 19," Elm defended. "It's her first time away from home and we've been gone for weeks. Besides, it's not just that. I've got some things I'd like to sort out too."

"Like what?"

"I left my phone at home." Before the Doctor could interrupt, she continued. "Also, I want to grab some paperwork."

The Doctor looked flabbergasted. "Paperwork? What for?"

"My job."

"You've got a job?"

It was Elm's turn to look confused. "Of course I've got a job. And it's a very paperwork heavy job," she paused. "I thought maybe I could work on it between trips so I don't get behind."

The Doctor thought for a moment. "Just a short trip?"

Elm nodded eagerly. "A day or two, at most. I promise."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the Doctor went back under the console. "Fine. Go grab homesick Rose and I'll take you two home." He pulled himself up to give her one last stern look. "And don't try to get me to visit her mum. I don't do domestic."

"No domestics, I've got it," Elm replied, holding up her hands in surrender. "I'll be right back."

OoOoOoO

Stepping out of the TARDIS, Elm couldn't help but smile. Sure, the lot behind Rose's apartment was grey, and so was the sky, but she'd missed it.

"How long have we been gone?" Rose asked as she stepped out as well.

The Doctor followed not long after and leaned against his box. "About twelve hours."

"I love your ship," Elm exclaimed, turning back to her companions. "I really, really do."

"Of course you do," the Doctor said in a smug voice. "Everyone does."

Laughing, Elm waved away the comment. "Anyways, I'm gonna run home and grab some things. See you in a few?" Elm directed this question at Rose.

"Yeah, and if my mum asks, you're my alibi," Rose replied, heading toward her building. She paused and turned toward the Doctor. "And no disappearing, you got that?"

The Doctor made a placating gesture. "Yeah, sure. I'll be here."

"For your own sake, I suggest you listen to her," Elm suggested as she walked out of the ally. "Rose has her mother's temper."

Elm's walk home was nice. She hadn't realized, but she'd missed the sounds of the city. The cars and planes and people. The TARDIS was always quiet, like every room was soundproofed or something. Elm had taken to playing music on an old tape player she'd found to fill the silence.

London, though, was full of life as usual. It took around twenty minutes for her to get home, as she'd taken the scenic route. Her home was quaint, an average apartment with two bedrooms and one bathroom. She'd gotten it for a good price when she first moved to the city and hadn't needed to move since. Given how long it'd been her home, then, she knew her neighbor when she saw her.

"Hey!" Elm called, hurrying down the hall to catch up. "Hey, Susan!"

Susan turned around and gasped, dropping the bags she was holding. "Dear God, Elm, is that you?"

Elm slowed down and gave her neighbor a confused look. "Yeah? Who else would it be?"

"I don't know!" the woman exclaimed before looking her over with keen eyes. "Where have you been?!"

"Out?" Elm replied hesitantly. "I don't understand. Why're you acting like this?"

"Why am I acting like this? You've been missing for a year! My God, everyone thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere. The police thought it might've been that Mickey fellow, your cousin's boyfriend? but then he was cleared and you were just gone. Your poor aunt, she had to collect your things so they wouldn't be thrown out. And where have you been? Out?"

"What?" Elm reeled back, looking around widely. "What do you mean I've been gone for a year. I-oh no," she turned around and sprinted out of the apartment building and onto the street. She gained more than a few odd looks from strangers as the ran back to the Powell Estate. Ignoring the TARDIS, she took the stairs two at a time to get to the Tyler's apartment as quick as possible. Someone was yelling within.

Elm swallowed thickly. It was Jackie.

Raising a shaking hand, she knocked softly on the door. Immediately it was thrown open, an infuriated Jackie standing on the other side. Elm was dragged in.

In the living room was the Doctor, Rose, and a police officer. All of them turned when they entered.

"And here's the other one," Jackie announced. Pulling Elm in for a hug, the older woman squeezed the life out of her before separating with a glare. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I-I went home, to get my phone," Elm stuttered out. Looking around Jackie at the Doctor and Rose, she added. "We've been gone a year."

"Yeah, sorry about that," the Doctor said with a grimace.

"I've sat here for hours, days, thinking you two were dead. I had to clear out your apartment!" Jackie shouted at Elm. "Rose won't say where you've been. All she'll say is that you two have been traveling! Traveling!"

"We have been traveling, mum," the younger girl insisted.

Jackie spun on her daughter. "Then why's your passport in your drawer?! It's just one lie after another."

"Jackie, she's telling the truth," Elm said, voice soft. "I'm so sorry about this. We just got caught up into things."

"For a whole year?" Jackie said incredulously. "You're telling me you left with my daughter for a whole year, doing who knows what and didn't think to call once? Why won't you just tell me where you've been?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Elm saw the Doctor ready himself. She sent him a warning look, but he ignored it. "Actually, this is all my fault. You see, I sort of employed Rose and Elm as companions."

"When you say companions," the officer spoke up. "Do you mean in a sexual way?

"No!" Rose and the Doctor shouted at once.

"Traveling companions," Elm explained. "Friends. Nothing more than that."

Jackie shook her head and turned on the Doctor. "But it's got to be more than that, because you," she jabbed her finger at the alien man's chest. "You waltz in here, all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know my girls are gone. How old are you then? Forty? Forty-five? Did you find them on the Internet, pretending you're a doctor?"

The Doctor looked offended. "I am a Doctor."

"Prove it," Jackie said, rearing back. "Fix this, mate!" She slapped him across the face so hard that he jerked to the side. Everyone in the room flinched at the noise.

"There's no need for violence," the officer stepped in. "But, as far as I can tell, this is a family matter. Unless anyone would like to press charges," he paused for a moment, "I'll be going. A word of advice, though," he looked at the girls. "If you're gonna go traveling, don't forget to tell your mum."

And with that, he left.

"Let's talk in the kitchen," Rose tried, pulling her mother away from a scowling Doctor.

"Meet us on the roof," Elm murmured to him before following after.

Jackie gave them both massive hugs. "Did you think of me at all?"

"I did," Rose replied. "All the time."

"One phone call, just to know that you were alive. Neither of you could've done that?"

"I'm sorry," Elm said, looking away.

Sighing, Jackie turned to Elm. "I've got your things all stacked up in Rose's room. I had to sell your furniture, didn't have the room for it."

"My books?" Elm said hopefully.

"Yes, I got your books too," Jackie replied with a wave of her hand.

Elm sagged in relief. "What about my phone?"

"The police took that. Speaking of, you've got some phone calls to make," Jackie gave her a stern look. "I'm not the only one who worried after you."

Wincing, the woman nodded. "I know."

Borrowing Rose's phone, Elm went into the living room for privacy. She dialed the number she knew by heart with shaking fingers.

"Jackson residence."

Elm didn't recognize the voice on the other end of the line. "Hello, is Mrs. Jackson available?"

"She's on the phone right now," the woman on the line answered. "I can take a message."

Swallowing, she tried to come up with the proper words. "Tell her that Elm called, and is very sorry for her absence. I've been traveling. If she needs to call me, please have her dial this number."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Have a good day."

As she hung up, she sighed. The second number she called she also knew by heart, but for completely different reasons.

"Hello?" the voice that answered had a thick Irish accent.

"Charlie?"

"Elm Smith is that you?!" Elm jerked the phone back from her ear at the loud voice of her friend. "Where have you been? Are you alright? Do I need to come get you?"

Charlie's voice was like a balm on Elm's sore mind. She laughed. "I'm alright. I met someone and have been traveling."

The laugh that Charlie belted out startled her. "I knew it. You know, the cops interviewed me. I told them you were probably just out seeing the world like you've always wanted. You're safe, then? This person isn't dangerous?"

"Dangerous is a subjective term," Elm hummed. "But no, he's a good man."

"The board went mad when you went missing, you know. Everyone's missed you. You couldn't have called?"

Elm winced. "I forgot my phone?"

Charlie chuckled. "Of course you did. Anyway, I assume you want me to pull a few strings and get your job back?"

"I dunno, to be honest," Elm replied. "I wanna keep teaching. You know how much I love talking, but I've already sorta got a new job."   
"I'll see what I can do, but on one condition."

"What's that?"

"We get lunch, you and me," Charlie replied. "Doesn't have to be tomorrow, but after a year, we need to catch up. You pay, of course"

Laughing, Elm nodded. "Of course. I'll call you tomorrow. Bye, Charlie."

With a weight lifted from her shoulders, Elm headed to the roof.

The Doctor had taken her advice and was leaning against some concrete. A breeze ruffled Elm's hair, and she took a breath.

"How'd it go?" the alien man asked once she sat beside him.

"As well as it could've. I'm guessing we can't go back now and avoid this mess?"

"We're part of events, no changing them anymore," the Doctor said, looking up at the sky.

Elm was quiet for a moment before speaking up. "You know, I should've been better prepared for this. When I ran after you, I hadn't connected that the TARDIS traveled in time. I thought I'd be away for a while. Then Rose came along, so I stopped thinking about it, but that doesn't change what I did. I left my job, my flat, my friends. I ran away." She looked down at her hands. "Wonder what the says about me."

Before the Doctor could reply, Rose made it up to the roof. She sat next to Elm. "That was a mess."

"Understatement of the year," Elm replied.

"The craziest part is, I can't tell her," Rose began. "I can't even begin to. She's never going to forgive me." She let out a laugh. "And I missed a year. Was it a good one?"

The Doctor made a noise. "Middling."

"You're so useless."

"If it's this much trouble, are you going to stay here now?" he questioned, gaze still on the clouds.

Rose shook her head. "I dunno. I can't do that to her again, though. How about you, Elm? You sort everything out?"

"I've got no job, no house, and no phone," Elm said, counting off on her fingers. "But all my things are safe, and I got ahold of Charlie. He said he'll try to pull some strings. The most important thing is, he's not mad at me. So I guess things are as sorted as they can be."

"When you asked to come home, you promised me no domestics," the Doctor said. "And what happened? Domestics. Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother."

Rose laughed. "Your face!"

The Doctor frowned. "Well, it hurt!"

"Wait, you're how old?" Elm interrupted, turning to the Doctor.

"Nine hundred years, just like I said."

“You’re nine hundred years old?” Rose repeated.

The Doctor shrugged. "Yeah."

“I swear, every conversation with you goes mental!” Rose exclaimed, standing to walk closer to the edge of the roof. “There’s no one else I can talk to either, besides you two. I’ve seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and there’s hardly anyone on the planet who knows they exist.”

As if triggered by her words, the sound of a jet passing over startled all three of them. Elm looked up, and gasped at what she saw. A spaceship, a bonafide alien spaceship, swooped overhead. The time travelers ducked as it crashed into Big Ben, tearing a hole into the monument before landing somewhere beyond.

"Oh my god," Elm muttered, staring at the sight wide-eyed.

Rose groaned. "That's not fair."

Without another word, Elm turned around and ran back down the stairs. Rose and the Doctor followed after as she raced through the congested streets of London. She was stopped from going further by a military blockade.

"It's blocked off!" the Doctor exclaimed once he caught up.

"We're miles from the center," Rose said, trying to get a better look through the massive crowd. "The city must be gridlocked."

"A spaceship crash-lands and hits a national monument," Elm said, gesturing wildly. "Of course everything's blocked off and shut down! It's like a bad sci-fi movie."

"I know," the Doctor laughed. "I can't believe I'm here to see this. This is fantastic!"

Rose turned to the Doctor. "Did you know this was going to happen?"

"Nope."

"Do you know where the ship came from?" Elm asked.

"Nope."

"Do you know why it crashed?" Rose tried again.

"Nope."

The younger woman rolled her eyes. "I'm so glad I've got you."

"I bet you are," the Doctor responded, missing the sarcasm. "This is what I travel for. To see history happening."

"And to think, we would've missed it if you got us here on time," Elm said with a grin. "Thank God for your bad driving."

“Oi!”

Rose cut in. “What are we standing here for? We've got the TARDIS."

"Better not," the Doctor replied. "They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box," Rose said. "No one's going to notice."

"You'd be surprised. An emergency like this, there'll be all kinds of people watching."

"So, history's happening," Elm gestured to the blockade. "And we're stuck here?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, we are. You lot are on your own this time."

Rose shrugged. "We could always do what everybody else does. Watch it on TV."

Elm winced. "Back to Jackie, then?"

OoOoOoO

The Tyler's flat was overflowing with people. Jackie had apparently told the entire floor about Rose's reappearance. Rose's mother served tea to everyone besides the Doctor, who grumbled about not wanting tea anyway.

Then Rose's phone rang. It was for Elm.

She stepped into the hall for a bit of privacy. "Elm Smith."

"So, you're finally back from your vacation."   
The voice on the other end was old and stern. Elm straightened her posture automatically. "Yes. I'm sorry, I should have called-"

"I'm assuming something's happened to your phone?"

Elm nodded and answered. "Yes."

"I've transferred money to your account. Get yourself a new one."

"Of course," she paused for a moment before opening her mouth. "Grandmother, I-"

"Are you going back to the university?"

Elm gripped the phone tighter. "I think, as a guest lecturer."

"You're continuing your travels then?"

For a long moment, Elm was quiet. She let out a breath before answering. "Yes."

"Fine, but I don't want to see you in any more news stories."

"Of course."

She was about to hang up when her grandmother spoke up again. "And Elm?"

"Yes?"

"Don't disappear."

Elm's hand trembled. "I won't."

The call was already over.

Elm needed air.

Giving Rose back her phone, Elm left the crowded apartment, intent on going on a walk. Then she saw the Doctor.

"Where're you going?"

The Doctor looked like a child caught stealing from the cookie jar. "Nowhere in particular. Just for a wander."

"Can I come with?" Elm asked, already approaching him. Upon seeing the conflicted look on his face, she stopped. "Unless you'd rather be alone. That's fine too."

The Doctor let out a breath. "Fine. But don't tell Rose."

She just grinned and followed the alien man inside the TARDIS. The time ship lit up as they entered, and Elm absentmindedly ran her hand over the coral struts as she talked. "So, where are we wandering to?"

"The hospital," the Doctor replied as he messed with the console. "Don't know if you saw, but they found a body in the wreckage."

"You said landing the TARDIS inside the blockade would be a bad idea."

The Doctor made a vague gesture. "I was exaggerating. A little."

Elm chuckled and leaned against a guardrail. "Sure, Doc. I think you just can't stand not being in the thick of it."

"Problem?" the Doctor questioned.

"Oh no, no objections from me," Elm replied. "You made a valiant effort, trying to watch history through the telly."

The alien man grunted but didn't respond. Soon after, the TARDIS landed. The Doctor peeked out the door to check his landing before exiting. Elm followed after him and laughed in surprise at the tight space. "So you overshoot by 12 months, but are a master at parallel parking?"

"Shush."

While attempting to stifle her giggles, Elm followed the Doctor out of the storage closet. Her mirth ceased once she saw what was on the other side.

Soldiers, at least a dozen of them, were sitting around and chatting in some sort of break room. The group went quiet when the time travelers exited. It took them exactly ten seconds to ready themselves, by which time a scream cut through the hospital.

The Doctor immediately took charge. "Defense plan delta!" When none of the soldiers moved, he shouted again. "Come on! Move! Move!"

Snapping out of their shock, the soldiers followed Elm and the Doctor to the source of the screaming. A woman, a doctor by the looks of her, was cowering by a desk in the mortuary.

Once she spotted reinforcements, she shrieked. "It's alive!"

The Doctor nodded and turned to the soldiers. "Spread out. Tell the perimeter it's a lockdown."

"Are you alright? You're bleeding," Elm said, crouching down by the woman. She had a cut on her head that was stained red with blood. "What's your name?"

"Toshiko Sato. Doctor Toshiko Sato."

The soldiers didn't move, and the Doctor snapped at them again. "Do it!" Finally, they spread out of the room, and the Doctor stared after them intently.

Elm, noticing his stiff posture, called him over. "Do you have bandages or something?"

"Yeah," he replied, his back loosening as he stuck a hand into his pocket. He pulled out a small tissue packet, which he handed to Elm. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Doctor Sato responded honestly as she accepted a tissue from Elm. "I thought it was dead."

"Coma, shock, hibernation, it could have been anything. What does it look like?" the Doctor asked.

Something metal clattered to the floor across the room, startling the three. The Doctor gestured for the nearest soldier to stay by the women. "It's still here. Elm, stay back until I say."

Elm nodded and watched the Doctor inch his way across the floor. He must have found something, as he whispered a quiet 'hello'. Whatever he was talking to squealed. A creature that looked like a pig on two legs ran out of the room, followed closely by the Doctor. Elm took that as her signal to follow after.

The creature ran around the corner, where two soldiers stood. One of them raised their weapon.

"Don't shoot!" the Doctor shouted. He repeated his command again as they rounded another corner, but to no avail. They shot the pig-alien in the chest.

Elm rushed forward, falling and sliding on her knees to check on the poor thing. It was breathing heavily, with a panicked look in its eye. Elm hushed it and scratched its head. "It's okay, little guy." It soon ceased breathing, and Elm slumped. "I'm sorry."

The Doctor, who was beside Elm on the ground, looked up at the soldier who shot it. "What did you do that for?" he shouted. "It was scared!" He looked back down at the creature. "It was scared."

OoOoOoO

They used a stretcher to get the pig-alien back to the mortuary. Doctor Sato was still there but looked shaken. Once the room was cleared of soldiers, the Doctor used his sonic to scan the creature.

"It's not alien," the Doctor said. He stared at the creature like it held the answers to the universe. "It's a sus scrofa domesticus, a domestic pig."

"I just assumed that's what aliens look like," Doctor Sato admitted.

Elm looked up at the Doctor. "But what's a pig doing in a spacesuit, walking on two legs?"

"Victorian showmen used to draw the crowds by taking the skull of a cat, gluing it to a fish and calling it a mermaid," the Doctor began. "Now someone's taken a pig and done the same thing. They opened its brain, stuck bits in, strapped it into that spaceship and made it dive bomb. It must've been terrified."

Turning around, he headed back to the TARDIS. Elm followed after, curious. She waited until they were back in the space-time ship to speak. "Doctor, you say it's just a pig, and I believe you, but what about the spaceship? Aliens have to be involved somehow, right?"

"Well, the spaceship's real at least. You said something about the crash earlier," the Doctor said. "Do you remember?"

Elm thought back on the day. "I said something about it hitting a national monument?"

The Doctor nodded and navigated the TARDIS back to the Powell Estate. Almost immediately the door opened, and in came Rose.

"Doctor-"

"Alright, so I lied," he interrupted as he messed with the console's monitor. "I went and had a look. But the whole crash landing is fake. I thought so, it was too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben, come on."

"Like a bad sci-fi movie!" Elm exclaimed, glad her off-handed comment had some weight.

"Exactly. And Elm just happened to be there when I was leaving and tagged along."

"That's fine, Doctor," Rose replied. "But my mum's here."

Both the Doctor and Elm spun around from the monitor. Jackie Tyler stood in the entrance of the TARDIS, Mickey along with her, looking awestruck.

The Doctor groaned. "Oh, that's just what I need."

Elm took a step back as Mickey marched up to the Doctor. He jabbed a finger into the alien man's chest. "You ruined my life, Doctor. They thought Rose and Elm were dead. I was a murder suspect because of you."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Great, more domestics."

"I bet you don't even remember my name," Mickey accused.

Elm watched the argument devolve like a ping-pong match.

"Ricky."

"It's Mickey."

"No, it's Ricky."

"I think I know my own name."

“You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?”

"Guys, alien spaceship in the center of London. Focus," Elm cut in, waving her hands between the men. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rose try to calm her mother down. Jackie seemed inconsolable and ran out of the TARDIS altogether. Rose sighed but perked up when Elm spoke.

"So it was a real spaceship?"

"Real spaceship," Elm confirmed. "Fake alien."

Rose bit her lip. "So it's all a pack of lies? What is it then? Invasion?"

"Funny way to invade," Mickey scoffed. "Putting the world on red alert."

"But that's a lot of effort for a prank, so someone must be up to something," Elm added.

The Doctor nodded. "All good points. So, what are they up to?" He moved a few paces to the left and pulled up some grate. Climbing down, he messed with some wires.

Mickey stared down at him. "What're you doing down there?"

"Ricky."

"Mickey."

"Ricky," the Doctor repeated. "If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?"

The young man shrugged. "I suppose not."

"Shut it then."

Mickey scowled and went to sulk by Rose, who was sitting on one of the raised platforms. They seemed to be having a personal conversation, so Elm went to crouch by the Doctor.

"What are you doing, though?"

"Patching the radar through to the monitor, and looping it back twelve hours."

"So we can see the flight!" Elm concluded, a large smile on her face. "Maybe we can see where they came from."

The Doctor nodded. "Exactly."

"That pig was from Earth, so they must have been on planet for a bit," she speculated. A thought popped into her mind. "Wait, does that mean aliens actually do the  abducting cows thing?"

"How do you mean?"

"I just suppose if you can do it to a pig, you could do it to a cow," she replied with a shrug. "Doesn't matter, though. What I'm really wondering is where they came from."

The Doctor lifted himself out of the little space. "I suppose we'll find out." He approached the monitor and tapped a few controls. An image appeared on the screen. "Here we go." Rose and Mickey approached the Doctor when he spoke. He pointed to the trajectory line. "That's the spaceship on it's way to Earth. Except, the spaceship did a slingshot around the planet before it landed."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"It means, it came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down again. Looks like you were right, Elm. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived. They've been here for a while. Question is, what have they been doing?"

"We should check the news for updates," Elm suggested before frowning. "We'll have to go back up to Rose's flat to do that, though."

"Nah, we can do that here," the Doctor said, flicking a few stitches on the console. The screen switched from the scanners to a news station.

Mickey looked interested. "How many channels do you get?"

“All the basic packages.”

“Do you get sports channels?”

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Yes, I get the football.” He held up a finger. “Hold on. I know that lot.”

He turned up the volume as the news anchor explained that the government was bringing in alien experts. Names scrolled across the bottom of the screen, and the Doctor pointed to one.

"UNIT?" Elm said in a questioning tone. "Who're they?"

"United Nations Intelligence Taskforce," he explained. "Good people."

“How do you know them?” Rose asked.

“‘Cos he’s worked for them,” Mickey butted in. The Doctor looked surprised. “Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books and there’s his name, followed by a list of the dead. I found other people like him too. The Doctor’s not all that unique.”

The Doctor's voice dripped in sarcasm as he spoke. "That's nice. Good boy, Rickey."

“If you know them, why don't you go and help?” Rose asked as the news anchor kept talking. The Doctor shrugged and leaned back on his heels.

“They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There're both fake and real aliens out there. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover. And uh, I'd better keep the TARDIS out of sight. Ricky, you've got a car. You can do some driving.”

“Where to?” the man questioned.

“The roads are clearing,” the Doctor explained. “Let’s go and have a look at that spaceship.”

They exited the TARDIS and were blinded by a spotlight shining down on them. Police surrounded the blue box on all sides, and a helicopter flew overhead. Someone shouted for them to not move and raise their hands, but Mickey took off. Some went after him, but he didn't come back. Then Jackie came running out of the estate. She was held back by the police.

The time travelers raised their hands in surrender, and the Doctor grinned. "Take me to your leader."

OoOoOoO

Squeezed into the back of a plush cop car, Elm looked out the window curiously. Traffic parted around them. "Not that I'm complaining, but why aren't we handcuffed?"

"Yeah, this is a bit posh," Rose agreed. "If I knew being arrested was like this, I would've done it years ago."

The Doctor grinned. "We're not being arrested, we're being escorted."

"Where to?"

“Where’d you think? Downing Street,” the Doctor responded, turning toward the window.

Rose gaped. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“10 Downing Street?” Elm repeated.

The Doctor nodded. “That’s the one.”

“Oh, my god,” Rose gasped. “I’m going to 10 Downing Street? How come?”

The Doctor sighed and leaned against the door of the car. “I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been noticed.”

"I'd be surprised if you weren't," Elm said.

"The TARDIS isn't exactly discreet," Rose added with a giggle.

With a scoff, he turned toward his companions. "Be glad it isn't. You saw the news, they're gathering alien experts. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?"

"Patrick Moore?"

"Fox Mulder?" Elm suggested with a teasing smile.

"Apart from them," the Doctor replied, glaring at the two.

Rose laughed. "Oh, don't you love it."

“What happened to humanity being on their own?” Elm questioned after a moment.

He shrugged. “I suppose a little help couldn’t hurt.”

It didn't take long for their car to reach Downing Street, and Rose shoved Elm out of the way to get a look out the window. Reporters lined the streets. Camera flashes were a constant. The Doctor got out first and waved at the cameras with a cheeky smile. Rose and Elm followed suit, Elm pulling Rose along as the younger girl became entranced by the press. They entered the historical building and were escorted to a room full of people.

A man in front seemed to be trying to corral everyone. "Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times." He caught the eye of the Doctor and approached, holding out a lanyard. "Here's your ID," he said before giving the girls a look. "I'm sorry, but your companions don't have clearance."   
The Doctor frowned. "I don't go anywhere without them."

"You're code nine, not-" he gave Elm a second look. "What's your name?"

"Elm Smith," she said in a slow and careful voice. "Have I done something wrong?"

"You wouldn't happen to be a professor, would you?"

She shrugged. "Used to be, not technically one right now, though. Can I ask what this is about?"

The man groaned. "Why didn't they tell me you were here too? I just didn't put it together, I suppose. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Professor."

“Wait, she has clearance but I don’t?” Rose exclaimed.

“Will this work?” the Doctor cut in, holding up his psychic paper. While it was hard to make out, it was identical to his own, only with Elm’s information instead. The man looked flabbergasted.

“How did you-”

“Do you have a lanyard I can attach this to?” Elm asked, cutting him off. He nodded, handing her a spare one. While she attached her new ID, the Doctor continued trying to get Rose clearance.

Rose spoke up after a moment. "It's alright, you two go."

A woman stepped out of the crowd of people. She was older and smartly dressed. "Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

"I need a word in private."

He didn't hear as all those with clearance were being funneled into another room.

"Don't get into any trouble," Rose said before turning to Elm. "Keep an eye on him."

Elm gave her friend a thumbs up and followed the Doctor into the next room. This one was less crowded than the last and was full of tables and chairs. After finding their seats, the Doctor turned to her. "How do you suppose you got clearance?"

"Maybe they read my dissertation, I got top marks on it," she replied with a shrug. Before the Doctor could respond, a man stepped forward to begin the meeting. As he walked, packets of information were passed around. Elm flipped through hers quickly.

Most of the information she already knew.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention," the man began. "As you can see from the summaries in front of you, the ship had one porcine occupant."

The Doctor stood up. "Of course, the really interesting bit happened three days ago." Elm watched him talk, impressed by the authority he displayed. "In the North Sea, a satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation at one hundred fathoms. You were just about to investigate and the next thing you know, this happens. Spaceships, pigs, massive diversion. From what?"

"It was all a bit showy, wouldn't you all agree? Crashing into Big Ben like that, having one occupant. The landing, though rough, wasn't so bad. It did land in the Thames, after all," Elm added.

Some of the others in the room began muttering to themselves. The Doctor nodded. "Exactly. So, if aliens fake an alien crash and an alien pilot, what do they get?" The man seemed to be putting it together as he spoke. His eyes widened in realization. "Us. They get us. It's not a diversion, it's a trap." He gestured to the room. "This is all about us! Alien experts. The only people with knowledge on how to fight against them gathered together in one room."

"'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles'," Elm quoted. "But that would mean they would have to be here with us. Right now."

The noise level in the room increased as everyone began speaking at once. That is until someone passed gas.

The Doctor glared at the man responsible. "Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?"

"Would you rather silent but deadly?" the man questioned with a grin.

Another man across the room began to laugh. Making his way to the front, he took off his military cap and moved his hand across his forehead. Everyone froze as a bright blue light filled the room. Inside the man was a giant green alien. It had long claws and bug-like eyes. The man who made the joke continued to smile.

"We are the Slitheen," the alien rasped.

"Thank you all for wearing your ID badges," the first man said, pulling out a small box. "They'll help to identify the bodies."

He pressed something down and the room lit up with electricity. Elm ducked under the table thinking it was some sort of taser but was horrified to find that it was the badges. The hairs on her arms stood on edge as she backed away from the nearest person. She wanted to help, but touching someone wouldn't accomplish anything. Her dilemma was solved by the Doctor, who was slowly rising to his feet. He was in pain, but though it he was able to rip off his badge. No longer under its effects, he shoved it toward the Slitheen. The creature started convulsing, as did the man at the front of the room.

"Deadly to humans, maybe," the Doctor shouted. Grabbing Elm's hand, he ran out of the room. They sprinted down the hall until they found a group of soldiers. The Doctor shouted at them. "You want aliens? Well, they're in Downing Street. Come on!"

These soldiers were quicker than the last ones and did as commanded. When they got back to the room, however, everyone was still. The alien seemed to have put back on his skin suit.

"Where have you been?" the disguised alien demanded. Elm checked the pulse of the person closest to her. He was dead. "I sounded the alarm. There was this lightening, uh, electricity, and they all collapsed."

One of the soldiers stood after checking someone's pulse. "I think they're all dead."

"That's what I'm saying," the man exclaimed. He pointed at the Doctor. "They did it! That man and the woman with him!"

"We did not! They did! Using the ID badges," Elm objected.

"I think you'll find the Prime Minister is actually an alien in disguise," the Doctor explained. When no one reacted, he turned to Elm. "That's never going to work, is it?"

"Probably not."

"Only one thing for it, then," the Doctor said. In one fluid motion, he grabbed Elms hand and rushed out the door. They ran down the hall only to be greeted with more soldiers. They were cornered.

One of the Slitheen, this one in the General's skin, was out of breath. "Under the jurisdiction of the Emergency Protocols, I authorize you to execute them!”

Elm squeaked as she was pulled behind the Doctor. Looking around for a solution, she was surprised to find the lift. It was right behind them. As discreetly as she could, she pressed the call button.

The Doctor rambled in an attempt to stall. "Well now, yes, you see, uh, the thing is if I was you. If I was going to execute someone by backing them against the wall, little word of advice." He grinned as the elevator dinged behind them. "Don't stand them against the lift!"

As soon as she was able, Elm backed into the metal box, the Doctor soon joining her. The soldiers approached, but the Doctor used his sonic to shut the doors before they could get in.

"That was mad," Elm breathed, leaning against a wall. "Absolutely mad. Are you alright?"

"Well enough, though it was a bit shocking," the Doctor joked. Elm glared at him. "Too soon?"

Before she could reply, the lift reached the next floor. The doors slid open to reveal a screeching Slitheen. Behind it were Rose and that woman from before. They were running into another room. The Doctor used his sonic to close the lift once again.

"How many are there?!" Elm exclaimed as they ascended another floor.

"Could be three, could be three hundred, who knows," the Doctor replied as he peeked down the hall. The floor was deserted. "C'mon, let's go give Rose a hand."

They took the stairs down a floor and were almost to Rose when the lift dinged.

"It does us good to hunt. Purifies the blood."

The alien's raspy, hissing voice made Elm shiver. The only place to hide was a narrow space between two columns, just behind the door. The Doctor shoved Elm in first before squeezing in himself.

"We'll keep this floor quarantined as our last hunting ground before the final phase," a second voice said. Elm held her breath as the aliens passed through to the next room.

The time travelers crept out of their hiding spot when the door closed behind the Slitheen. Looking around for some sort of distraction, Elm spotted the fire extinguisher. She tapped the Doctor on the shoulder and gestured to it. He grabbed it with a grin before walking toward the next room. They were about to enter when Rose screamed.

The Doctor burst through the door and sprayed the nearest Slitheen with the fire extinguisher.

"Come on!" Elm shouted to the cowering humans. Rose pulled a curtain down over the alien closest to her before sprinting to her friend. Elm pulled her over to check for injuries.

"I'm fine," Rose said with as much humor as the situation allowed.

Another woman, the older one from before, retreated behind the Doctor as well. She cradled a briefcase.

Elm turned to her. "Are you alright? Who're you?"

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North," the woman responded, holding up an ID. "And I'm fine."

"Right then, that's enough conversation," the Doctor said as he dropped the fire extinguisher. "Next stop, the Cabinet room!"

The group ran away from the Slitheen, the Doctor in the lead.

Behind them, the aliens screeched. They were fast creatures, running with the support of their arms like apes. The time travelers plus Harriet Jones only just made it to the Cabinet Room with all their limbs attached. The Doctor used his sonic to open the locked door and grabbed a bottle of alcohol inside. He held his device up to the bottle in a threatening manner.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof, we all go up. So back off," he threatened. The Slitheen took a step back and the humans retreated behind the Doctor to safety. He smiled. "Right then, question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens," Harriet answered.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yes, I got that, thanks."

One of the Slitheen hissed. "Who are you, if not human?"

“Who’s not human?” Harriet whispered.

“He’s not human,” Rose replied.

“He’s not human? He’s got a Northern accent.”

“Lots of planets have a north.”

The Doctor sighed. “Can I have a bit of hush?”

“Sorry," the two women said in unison.

“Why are you here?” Elm questioned. She took a step closer to stand beside the Doctor. “You must have some sort of plan, with all you’ve done.”

The Slitheen said nothing.

"Come on," the Doctor snapped. 'What have you done all this for? Invasion?"

“Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?” one of the Slitheen questioned.

"Something brought the Slitheen race here," the Doctor said. "What is it?"

One of the creatures tilted its head. “The Slitheen race?”

“Slitheen is not our species,” another one corrected. “Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen, at your service.”

“So you’re family. Good to know. You still haven't told us why you're here,” Elm said, emphasizing her words.

One of the Slitheen laughed. “We’re a family business.”

The Doctor snapped his fingers. “Then you’re out to make a profit. How can you do that on a ‘God-forsaken rock’?”

“Ah, excuse me?” the Slitheen on the right spoke up. “Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?”

The Doctor lowered the glass he was holding. “Is that what I said?”

“You made it up," one of the aliens accused.

“Ah, well! Nice try,” he gave Elm the bottle. “Have a drink.”

“Thank you?” She passed the bottle to Harriet.

The Slitheen laughed. “Now we can end this hunt with a slaughter.”

“Don’t you think we should run?” Rose squeaked.

Elm nodded and backed away as the Slitheen approached. "A tactical retreat seems like the only option we've got, Doc."

The man held up a hand. The aliens halted. "Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marshland. 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken,” he looked down with a smile. “He was a nice man. 1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are the four safest wall in of Great Britain," he reached over to the side of the door and lifted a panel. "End of lesson."

He pressed the button within. Steel clanged as all the windows and doors sealed around them. They could hear the Slitheen hiss in anger on the other side.

Stepping forward, Elm tapped the metal. "Will it hold?"

“I should hope so. There are three inches of steel lining every wall,” the Doctor said.

Rose spoke up from where she was standing. “And how do we get out?”

The Doctor frowned. “No such thing as a perfect plan.”

"Well, we have this," Harriet said, lifting up the briefcase she was carrying. "The Emergency Protocols. They're supposed to have information on aliens."

"Harriet Jones, I'm beginning to like you," the Doctor said with a grin. "You look through that and we'll search the room for anything useful."

Elm took his advice and started poking her way around. She started with a closet and gasped at what she saw within. Two people, obviously dead.

"Oh no."

"What is it?" the Doctor asked. When he saw for himself, he sighed. "Oh, that explains where the Prime Minister went."

"And what about him? What was his name?" Elm questioned, crouching down next to the other man. "I remember his face. He gave you an ID."

"Do you remember his name, Harriet?" the Doctor asked. "The secretary or whatever?"

Harriet approached and shook her head. "I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name."

"I hate it when this happens," Elm said with a sigh. She closed the door and turn around. "I guess I'll look over there."

While she investigated a different area, she heard the Doctor talk to Rose.

"Have you found anything?"

The girl scoffed. “No. This place is antique. What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?”

“He’s too slim," the Doctor explained. "They're big old beasts. They only fit inside big humans.”

“But the Slitheen are massive! How do they fit inside?” Rose questioned.

"That's the device around their necks. Compression field shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange.”

“Wish I had a compression field,” Rose mumbled. “I could fit a size smaller.”

“Yes, but at the expense of being gassy?” Elm questioned, a tiny smile on her face.

Her friend laughed. “Right.”

“Excuse me!” Harriet interrupted. “People are dead! This is not the time for making jokes.”

“Sorry,” Rose replied. “You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him.”

The Doctor spoke before anything more could be said. "Harriet Jones." He sounded like he was testing the name on his tongue. “I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?”

“Oh, hardly. Lifelong backbencher, I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs,” she bemoaned.

Elm took a step closer. “Speaking of. Does it make any mention of me? Professor Elm Smith?”

“Is this really the time?” Rose questioned. “Shouldn’t we be looking for defense codes or something?”

“Oh come on, you can't tell me you're not curious about how I got clearance.”

"There is a mention of a Professor, yes, but it only gives a general description of you. There's not much else besides a note that you're usually with the Doctor, sorry. As for defense codes, nothing like that is in here," Harriet lifted up a piece of paper. "Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations."

The Doctor turned toward the woman. “Say that again.”

“What, about the codes?”

“Anything. All of it.”

Harriet tilted her head. "Well, the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a special resolution from the UN."

Rose laughed. "Like that's ever stopped them."

"Exactly. With our past record, the codes were taken from the government's hands and given to the UN. Is it important?"

"Everything's important," the Doctor replied.

“If only we knew what the Slitheen wanted,” Harriet said before laughing. “Listen to me. I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal.”

“What do they want, though?” Rose questioned.

Elm tapped her finger on the table. “Doctor, you mentioned something about a profit?”

"Well, they're a family business. They don't want Slitheen World, they’re out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset.”

“Like what?” Harriet questioned. “Gold? Oil? Water?”

“You’re very good at this,” the Doctor said with a grin.

The older woman smiled. “Thank you.”

“We’re missing something,” Elm muttered to herself. “They’ve got such a well thought out plan, from the ship to the ID badges. All we’re missing is their endgame.”

Rose's phone beeped. The sound broke the tension in the room.

“Oh, that’s me,” Rose mumbled. She took out her phone and checked her texts. “It’s Mickey.”

Harriet looked astonished. “But we’re sealed off. How did you get a signal?”

She shrugged. “He zapped it. Superphone.”

“That’s great! You must have contacts!”

“Yeah, dead downstairs. And Rose, tell your stupid boyfriend we’re busy,” the Doctor said.

Rose read through the message and froze. “Yeah, he’s not so stupid after all.” She lifted her phone to reveal a photo of a Slitheen.

“He took that?” Elm questioned. “Where did he meet a Slitheen?”

“I dunno, shh!” Rose hushed, dialing the phone. “Mickey? Where did you get that picture? Are you alright?” She nodded along as he spoke and looked perturbed at what she heard. “Is she alright though? Don’t put her on, just tell me.”

The Doctor snatched the phone away and plugged it into a speaker on the table. “Don’t talk, just shut up and go to your computer.”

“Why should I?” Mickey questioned.

“I might just choke before I finish this sentence but,” the Doctor sighed. “I need you.”

The Doctor gave Mickey detailed instructions on how to get into a secure government website. Elm didn't pay much attention as she accepted a glass of alcohol from Harriet. She couldn’t sit still and tapped her foot absentmindedly as she sipped her drink.

“It’s asking for a password," Mickey said.

“Buffalo,” the Doctor replied. “Two Fs, one L.”

"So, what's this website?" That was Jackie. What she was doing with Mickey, Elm didn't know.

“All secret information known to mankind. See, they've known about aliens for years,” Mickey explained. “They just kept us in the dark.”

“Mickey, you were born in the dark,” the Doctor said with an eye roll.

“Leave him alone,” Rose demanded.

“Thank you," Mickey said. "Password again.”

The Doctor waved a hand. "Just repeat it every time." He leaned against a chair and frowned. "Big Ben, why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?”

“You said to gather the experts, to kill them," Harriet said after taking a long drink.

“That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon. You don't need to crash-land in the middle of London.”

“It was very high-profile, hitting such a well-known landmark,” Elm remarked.

Rose nodded. “The Slitheen are hiding, but then they put the entire planet on Red alert. What would they do that for?”

Jackie sighed over the phone. “Oh, listen to her. Listen to them!”

“At least I’m trying,” Rose defended.

“Well, I’ve got a question, if you don’t mind,” Jackie snapped. “Because since you've walked into our lives I've been attacked, my home's been invaded, and my girls have disappeared off the face of the Earth.”

The Doctor seemed to wilt the longer Jackie spoke.

"Mum-" Rose tried, but Jackie cut back in.

"I'm talking to him, not you, Rose. 'Cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. Maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this one question. Are they safe?"

“We’re fine, Jackie,” Elm said, trying to get through to her.

“Are they safe?” the woman repeated. “Will they always be safe? Can you promise me that?”

The Doctor was quiet, unable to make eye contact with anything other than the speaker. Elm shifted and looked away as Jackie repeated her question over and over.

Mickey cut through with two words. "We're in."

Snapping out of his thoughts, the Doctor nodded. "Now then, on the left at the top, there's a tab with an icon. Little concentric circles. Click on that."

An odd noise started coming in over the speakers. “What is it?”

“The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal,” the Doctor explained. “Now hush, let me work out what it's saying. It’s some sort of message.”

A moment passed.

“What’s it say?” Rose questioned.

“Don’t know, it’s on a loop. It’s beaming out into space. Who's it for?”

Elm tapped her fingers on the table. "It's repeating you say? With them being a business, what if it's-"

"They've found us," Mickey whispered. Someone jostled the phone, most likely moving away from the computer.

“Mickey, I need that signal,” the Doctor objected as the sound faded into background noise.

Rose slammed her hands on the table. "Never mind the signal, get out! Mum, just get out of there!"

“We can’t, it's by the front door,” Mickey replied. Through the phone, they could hear Jackie gasp. "Oh my god, it's unmasking. It's going to kill us.”

“There’s got to be some way of stopping them!” Harriet exclaimed. She turned toward the Doctor. “You’re supposed to be the expert, think of something!”

“I’m trying!” he shouted, staring at the speaker intently.

Mickey’s voice was hushed and tense. “I'll take it on, Jackie. You just run and don't look back.”

Rose looked at the alien man with teary eyes. “Doctor!”

The Doctor snapped out of his thoughts and straightened. "Right, if we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from. Which planet. Their basic shape narrows it down to five thousand planets within traveling distance. What else do we know about them?"

Rose spoke up first. “They’re green!”

“Yep, narrows it down.”

Elm thought back on the day. “Their eyelids close sideways.”

“Narrows it down.”

“Good sense of smell.”

“Narrows it down,” the Doctor said with a nod.

“They can smell adrenaline.”

“Narrows it down.”

“The pig technology,” Harriet chipped in.

The Doctor grinned. “Narrows it down.”

“The spaceship,” Rose said.

“Narrows it down.”

“When they speak they sort of hiss,” Elm added.

“It’s getting in!” Mickey shouted. Something crashed on his end of the call.

“They hunt like it’s a ritual,” Rose said in a rush.

“Narrows it down.”

“Their names are really long and sound hyphenated,” Elm said.

“Narrows it down.”

“Wait a minute,” Harriet began. “Did you notice? When they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't just smell like a fart, if you'll pardon the word, it's something else. What is it?”

Rose snapped her fingers. “Bad breath!”

“It does!” Elm gasped.

The Doctor laughed. “Calcium decay! Now, that narrows it down!” Someone screamed through the speaker as the Doctor began speaking in a rush. “Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium. Creatures made of living calcium. That narrows it down to one planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius!”

“Oh, yeah, great. We can write ‘em a letter,” Mickey exclaimed.

“Get into the kitchen!” the Doctor shouted. “Calcium, weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!”

Harriet grinned. “Like Hannibal!”

He nodded. “Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?”

“How should I know?”

“C’mon Mickey!” Elm exclaimed. “Have you got anything with vinegar? Anything pickled?”

Rose sighed. “Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf.”

There was a clamor as Jackie got hold of the phone. “What do you need?”

“Anything with vinegar!”

Something slammed as Jackie began listing things. “Gherkins. Pickled onions. Pickled eggs.”

“You kiss this man?” the Doctor questioned.

Rose shrugged.

The phone jostled so much Elm could hardly make out what was happening.

Then Mickey spoke up. "It worked!"

Rose turned to Harriet. “Hannibal?”

“Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar.”

“Oh. Well, there you go then.”

“To vinegar,” Elm toasted with her glass. Everyone took a long drink.

OoOoOoO

Mickey and Jackie took a few minutes to clean up, as the Slitheen apparently exploded.

"Ricky, have you got a TV?" the Doctor questioned, fed up with waiting.

"Course I do."

"Put it to good use then and turn on the news."

Mickey grumbled but complied. His complaints ceased when he listened to the broadcast. "Listen to this!"

The quality was terrible, but Elm could mostly make out what was being said. "Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and have found weapons of mass destruction _. _ "

“What?” the Doctor exclaimed.

Elm stared at the speaker in shock as the broadcast continued. "Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mothership. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival. It is my solemn duty to inform you that Earth is at war."

"Who is that speaking?" Elm questioned. "I recognize his voice."

"It's the Prime Minister, or at least, the Slitheen disguised as him," the Doctor replied. "And what he's saying is all wrong. He's making it up. There are no weapons up there. There's no threat."

Harriet gripped her chair. "Do you think they'll believe him?"

"The world's already on high alert," Elm replied. She leaned heavily against the table. "And did you hear that message? Everyone must be panicking"

“That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the panic because you lot, you get scared, you lash out,” the Doctor said. He began stalking toward the door as he spoke.

Rose gasped. “And the defense codes get released!”

The Doctor nodded and opened up the room. Four of the Slitheen were standing in the hall. Only one was in disguise. “You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked.”

The Slitheen disguised as a woman smiled. “And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away.”

“But you’ll destroy the planet, this beautiful place,” Harriet objected.

“What could you possibly get out of a destroyed planet?” Elm asked.

“Profit,” the Doctor answered for them. “That’s what the signal is, an advert.”

The Slitheen woman laughed. “The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks, capable of powering every cut-price starliner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel.”

“At the cost of five billion lives," the Doctor growled.

She grinned. “Bargain.”

“That’s sick,” Elm exclaimed.

The Doctor cut in. “I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I'll stop you.”

“What, you? Trapped in your box?”

He nodded as he pressed the button to close the doors. “Yes. Me.”

OoOoOoO

Time passed in slow motion as the Doctor, Elm, Rose and Harriet Jones waited for news. Elm spent most of her time looking through the Emergency Protocols. The documents within were written in complicated and official language, but it was hardly the most complex thing she'd ever read.

The reading was a nice distraction from their impending doom. Every line she read moved her further away from the problem at hand.

She was startled out of her focus by Jackie's voice.

“All right, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do.”

The Doctor didn't answer, so Rose spoke up instead. "Any luck on your end, Mickey?"

“There’s loads of emergency numbers. They're all on voicemail.”

“Voicemail dooms us all,” Harriet bemoaned.

"If we could just get out of here," Rose said, her gaze on the doors.

Elm put away the Emergency Protocols and leaned back in her chair. "Without being skewered."

"There's a way out," the Doctor said, his voice low. He looked from Rose to Elm.

Rose furrowed her brow. "What?"

“There’s always been a way out,” he replied.

“Then why don’t we use it?”

The Doctor eyed the speaker. “Because I can’t guarantee they’ll be safe.”

“Don’t you dare,” Jackie cried. “Whatever it is, don’t you dare.”

He sighed. “That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies.”

Silence fell on the room. Then Rose spoke. "Do it."

“You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me?” the Doctor asked, eyes wide.

"We trust you, Doctor," Elm said. "So do what you have to."

“Doctor, please,” Jackie cut in. “They’re just kids.”

“Do you think I don't know that?” the Doctor snapped. “Because this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will.”

“Then what’re you waiting for?” Rose questioned.

He looked from her to Elm. “I could save the world but lose both of you.”

Harriet stepped forward. “Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine.”

“And who the hell are you?” Jackie shouted.

She held her head high. “Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it.”

The Doctor grinned. “Alright then.”

“So how do we get out?” Rose questioned.

“We don’t. We stay here. Elm, hand me everything in the Emergency Protocols on the Royal Navy,” the Doctor demanded. It took only a moment for her to sort out what he needed, and she handed them to him with a cautious look.

“Doctor?”

“If there were any other way,” he said in answer before turning back toward the speaker. After navigating Mickey to the Royal Navy’s control center, he instructed him on how to override their controls. “There should be a submarine called the HMS Taurean. Navigate to its control center.”

“Alright,” Mickey replied. “HMS Taureen, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth?”

The Doctor nodded. “That's the one. We need to select a missile. What’s the first category?”

“Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A.”

“Select and target this location. You ready for this?”

Mickey paused for a long moment and Elm held her breath. “Yeah.”

“Mickey the idiot, the world is in your hands. Fire.”

Elm clapped her hands together once before looking around the room. “Right, world's saved. Great. Now we’ve got to sort ourselves out.”

“These walls aren’t solid enough for something this big,” the Doctor warned.

Rose walked to a closet on the opposite end of the room. “Well I dunno about you, but I’m not going to die. We're going to ride this one out. It's like what they say about earthquakes. You can survive them by standing under a door frame. Now, this cupboard's small so it's strong,” she began pulling things out of it. “Come and help me. Come on.”

Both Elm and Harriet rushed to help, unloading boxes upon boxes and throwing them out. As they cleared out the closet, the Doctor sorted something out with Mickey. Elm knew when the Doctor unplugged the phone that it was time. With all the things gone, they all squeezed into the cupboard. Seated between Rose and the Doctor, Elm grabbed their hands and held on tight.

“It was nice meeting you three,” Harriet spoke up as they all braced.

“It’s been fun,” Elm agreed.

The missile struck.

Elm felt like a rag-doll. The room flipped around them, sending her to the ceiling and back to the floor again. Someone shouted. Someone squeaked. Someone groaned in pain.

All at once the room stopped moving. It was dark in the closet, but someone managed to find the door and threw it open. The room was upside down.

Despite her sore body, Elm couldn't help but laugh.

The sky was bright as the three travelers followed Harriet out of the wreckage of 10 Downing Street. Somehow the woman managed to maintain her dignity, and immediately greeted a soldier who approached them.

“Harriet Jones. MP for Flydale North. I want you to contact the UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors that the crisis is over. They can step down. Go on, tell the news.” As the soldier ran off to do as she bid, she sighed. “Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, Lord. We haven't even got a Prime Minister.”

The Doctor smiled. “Maybe you should have a go.”

She laughed. “Me? I'm only a back-bencher.” A crowd was gathering ahead of them. “I'd better go and see if I can help,” the woman said before doing just that.

“That woman’s made of steel," Elm commented, following after her to the street.

"I thought I knew the name," the Doctor said when he got out of the rubble himself. "Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age.”

“I would vote for her,” Rose agreed. She glanced at the blocked off street. “Do you think we’ll be able to get a cab?”

OoOoOoO

They weren't able to get a cab. The walk back to the Powell Estate was rough, but worth it for the cuppa Jackie brewed. She even gave one to the Doctor, to his surprise. The night ended with Elm passed out on the couch, warm and exhausted.

The next morning wasn't nearly as relaxing.

“I’ll be back before sundown,” Elm said as she sorted through her boxes. They were all stacked in Rose’s room, and for once she was glad she didn’t own much. It didn't take long for her to find her wallet and, thank god, her card was still valid. “Don’t leave without me, alright?”

"Yeah, yeah," Rose mumbled from her bed. Next to her was a snoring Mickey. "What are you going to do with your things?"

She shrugged. "No sense in renting out another flat if I'm not staying in it. Do you suppose the Doctor will mind if I keep it all in my room?"

"Dunno," Rose replied with a yawn. "See you."

"Bye."

First on Elm's to-do list was getting a new phone. Luck was on her side as her phone carrier's shop was open for the day. Most things were open actually, despite the world almost being destroyed the previous day. The store assistants looked tired, but the process of getting her old plan and phone was streamlined by her paying for the device in full.

Once out of the shop, she dialed her friend's number and headed back to the estate.

"Professor Charlie Walsh speaking."

“Great, cause I was looking for a Charlie Walsh.”

“Elm?” the man laughed. “I was wondering when you’d call. Yesterday was insane.”

“I know, that alien stuff was crazy,” Elm replied.

“You mean that hoax? Don’t tell me you believe all that. They’ve already debunked it. No, what I’m talking about is convincing administration to take you back on.”

“Oh,” Elm paused. “Yeah, of course. How’d it go?”

"Well," he drew out the word. "At first it was looking grim, but it seems they've missed you enough to take you back. You're officially a guest lecturer now."

“You're a miracle worker, Charlie," Elm said. "Do you think I can still call myself a professor?"

“You can hardly call yourself a doctor,” Charlie answered cheekily. “So you’d better. What else is a doctorate good for other than titles?"

"You're terrible," Elm said with a laugh. Her phone buzzed in her hand. She had another call coming in. "Someone's calling me, talk to you later?"

“Call me."

She accepted the other call.

“Hello?”

“Elm?”

“Doctor?” she responded. “How'd you get my number?”

“I looked it up, obviously.”

“But I just got it.”

“Time machine,” he said before continuing on. “Anyway, just wanted to tell you we'll be ready to go in a few.”

Elm hummed an assent. “Oh and before I forget, would you mind if I store my things in the TARDIS?”

“Oh no, you’re not making my TARDIS into your flat,” the Doctor exclaimed. “I won’t have a bunch of human things scattered around.”

“Well, it is your fault I lost my apartment,” she pointed out. “It’ll just be in my room anyway. I won’t encroach on your space.”

“You swear?”

“Yeah, I promise.”

“Fine, but the first personal effect I find out of your room gets thrown into the Vortex.”

She laughed. “Whatever you say.”

“Good.”

He hung up without further comment.

Elm looked down at her phone and sighed. There was only one last thing to do. Settling onto the closest bench, she dialed a number.

It went to voicemail.

“Hello, this is, uh, Elm. Elm Smith. Your granddaughter. This is my new number,” she paused for a moment. “I know I already told you this, but I’m going to keep traveling. My living situation is settled, and the University accepted me back as a guest lecturer so… yeah. I hope you understand. I’ve gotta do this. Just in case I don’t talk to you in a while, thank you for… everything. Bye.”

OoOoOoO

Upon her return to the Powell Estate, Elm was pleasantly surprised to find her things already stacked in the console room. Outside of the TARDIS sat a tired Mickey.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, hugging the young man. "That saved me a lot of work."

He shrugged. "Haven't had much else to do. Don't expect me to help you bring them further in, though. That place is too much."

"That's fine, I really appreciate the help."

"Your things are already cluttering up!" Came a shout from within the time machine. The Doctor emerged, a scowl on his face. "What is it with you apes and your things?"

"Says the man with a wardrobe the size of a mall," Elm replied. "It's your fault I'm homeless, take responsibility."

The Doctor sighed and picked up a few boxes. "Let's just put them away before they start stinking up the place."

"My things do not stink!" Elm objected, grabbing a box as well.

It only took a few minutes to move her few boxes, and by then Rose emerged from the Estate. The blonde had a backpack in hand and seemed to be arguing with her mother.

“I'm not leaving because of you. I'm traveling, that's all, and then I'll come back.”

“But it’s not safe!” Jackie cried.

“Mum,” Rose sighed. “If you saw it out there, you'd never stay home.” She tossed her backpack at the Doctor.

He caught it and groaned. “Not more things.”

“Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment. Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with me,” Rose laughed. She went to go talk to Mickey, and Elm took that as her signal to retreat into the TARDIS. She did not want a lecture from Jackie.

The Doctor and Rose joined her within moments.

“Well then,” the Doctor began. “Where to next?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my god this chapter is so long


	6. Interlude: Filled Shelves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Title: How many books does Elm own?
> 
> Between running away from danger and exploring the cosmos, Elm didn't have much downtime.

Alternate Title: How many books does Elm own?

Between running away from danger and exploring the cosmos, Elm didn't have much downtime. So, three adventures after Downing Street, her things still sat stacked in the corner of her room. It was irritating, but tolerable, seeing as she didn't spend much time in there anyway. There was too much to see and do.

In the present, however, there was nothing to do. Nothing pressing, that is. She'd caught up on all her favorite book series (secretly of course). The Doctor hadn't paged her about an adventure. Rose was off doing… whatever she did in her off time. Elm could go poking around the TARDIS or venture into the library again, but her eyes were drawn to her boxes. Perhaps it was time.

The first, and largest, box was full of clothes. Vests, shirts, pajamas, button-ups, all shoved into one great big box. Jackie clearly was in a rush when she'd packed it. Elm winced and began sorting. A pile of underwear, a pile of shirts, a pile of pants, a pile of sweaters and lastly a pile of socks. The young woman couldn't help but smile at that pile. Elm was a bit of a sock fanatic and loved collecting odd pairs. She quickly swapped out the plain white ones she'd been borrowing for a pair that were covered in bees. Cartoon bees, of course. Not actual bees.

With nowhere to put her clothes, she moved on.

The next box was full of paperwork and documents. She shoved that one aside.

Box number three held office supplies. It went with the paperwork.

The fourth box was interesting, as Elm didn't remember procuring the items within. There was a metal apple paperweight, an assortment of pens (all different), a tiny bear figurine, and other odds-and-ends. Elm put that box next to the bookshelf to be unpacked later.

The next three boxes, the heaviest of the lot, were full of books. Cracking her knuckles, she got to work on filling the empty shelves lining her walls.

First up were children's books, picture books, and comics. Her fascination with literature began young, so she had a significant number of these. She put those books on the bottom shelf by habit. Above them went YA and above those went adult fiction. Classics were placed at the top, the likes of H.G. Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle filling the last of that section.

There were, of course, more books.

Non-fiction took up a few shelves. Textbooks upon textbooks from her college years. Book after book on subjects ranging from butterflies to astrophysics. It took her a few minutes to sort them by subject, then by author.

The last box of books made her pause. Within it lay all 32 of the Encyclopedia Britannica, the first books ever read to her.

"What have you got there?"

Elm started, dropping the box she was already unbalanced by. The shift in weight brought her to the floor with a soft thud. The Doctor stood in the doorway.

"There's this thing humans do," Elm began as she stood back up. "It's called knocking."

The Doctor shrugged. "The door was open."

"What? I could've sworn-"

"Quite a collection you've got," the Doctor interrupted. He approached her shelves and ran a finger over a few spines. "Have you read all of them?"

"Over the years, yeah."

The alien man hummed. "What is it with you and books?"

"I dunno. Everyone's got a hobby," Elm replied as she started filling an empty shelf with Encyclopedias. "You're welcome to any of them so long as they're returned in good shape."

The Doctor snorted. "I've got at least two copies of all of your books in my library."

Elm shrugged and got started on her knick knack box. "Offer stands."

"When we were moving these boxes in," the Doctor began. "I expected memories and pictures, not books and clothes. Is this all you've got?"

Elm shifted awkwardly. "Yeah."

"Doctor? What are you doing here?" Rose said as she barged into Elm's room. She had a bag slung over her shoulder and a determined look on her face.

"I was just helping," the Doctor defended.

"Snooping more like," Rose replied. She grabbed the alien man and dragged him out the door. "Elm and I are going to have some quality girl time. No boys allowed."

"I'm not a-" the door was closed before the Doctor could finish.

Elm breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"You owe me one," Rose said with a grin before dropping her bag on Elm's bed. "Now then, I've been snooping around the Doctor's things, and you'll never guess what I found."

Curiosity piqued, Elm stopped unpacking and turned to Rose. "What?"

Rose held up what looked like a flash drive and a laptop. "Alien rom-coms."

OoOoOoO

Elm passed out somewhere between 'Interstellar Hearts IV' and 'I'm in Love with a Tree'.

She woke up to a pounding on the door. Rose, who was sleeping beside her, roused from the noise as well.

"Whatsit?"

Yawning, Elm sat up on the bed. "Come in."

The Doctor jerked open the door and gave the two tired women a manic grin. "Distress signal. You've got 10 minutes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interludes will always be shorter and character focused.


	7. Dalek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Blimey,” Rose gasped. “It's a great big museum.”  
> The Doctor hummed. "An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains potentially triggering material. If you are at risk, please see endnotes.

  **Alternate Title:** Can people change?

Elm skidded to a stop in the console room and grinned at the Doctor. "Distress signal?"

The alien man smiled back. "Oh yes. Where's Rose?"

"Here!" Rose ran into the console room, breath short. "I'm here."

"Just in time," the Doctor said as he pulled a lever. "We've landed."

The three travelers exited the TARDIS one at a time. The room was dark, but the TARDIS illuminated enough so that they could see the area around them.

"Where are we?" Rose questioned.

"And when are we?" Elm added.

The Doctor peered around as if searching for something. "Earth. Utah, North America. About a half a mile underground. As for the year, it's 2012."

"God, that's so close," Rose murmured. "I should be 26."

The lights switched on overhead. The room they were in was massive and filled with display cases. Each contained an oddity, most of which Elm didn't recognize. She did know what one was, however. A stuffed Raxacoricofallapatorian hand was propped up in a display to her right. The sight of it made her queasy.

“Blimey,” Rose gasped. “It's a great big museum.”

The Doctor hummed. "An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby."

"This is a bit more than a hobby," Elm said as she took a step away from the hand. "Do you recognize any of it?"

"Most of it, actually. That's a meteorite," the Doctor pointed at a chunk of rock. "Moondust," he gestured to a small pile of rubble. "The milometer from the Roswell spaceship. This stuff's worth millions."

"That's a bit of Slitheen!" Rose exclaimed, pointing to the display Elm had already noticed. "That's a stuffed Slitheen arm."

Elm shuttered. "Don't remind me." She turned toward the Doctor. "Do you suppose someone found an old distress signal and just cased it away?"

"No, this signal was alive. I'm sure of it," the Doctor replied. Glancing left, he approached another display case. It contained the head of some sort of robot. "Oh, look at you."

"What is it?" Rose questioned.

"An old friend, well, enemy of mine," the Doctor said. He sighed. "The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old."

He reached out and gently placed a hand on the glass display. The touch must have triggered something, as an alarm immediately went off. Thundering footsteps belonging to armed guards approached, and Elm immediately raised her hands.

"If someone is collecting aliens," Rose began, shifting closer to her traveling companions. "Then that makes you exhibit A."

OoOoOoO

The trio were roughly escorted through the facility to a posh office. A large desk took up most of the room, behind which sat a man holding a metal object the size of his hand. He fiddled with it like a child who'd just gotten a new toy.

"I wouldn't hold it like that," the Doctor spoke up.

Elm fidgeted in place and gave the alien man a side-eyed glance. "Doctor-"

"No, really," he insisted. "That's wrong."

A young man stood in the corner of the room, unnoticed previously. He cleared his throat. "Is it dangerous?"

The Doctor leaned forward and immediately had three guns pointed his way. He stopped moving but continued to stare at the object. "You look silly."

The man behind the desk gave the Doctor a long look before handing the object over. Unlike him, the Doctor held it carefully. With his unused hand, he softly ran his fingers over it. A gentle, high pitched noise filled the room and the Doctor smiled. "You need to be delicate."

Elm looked at the object in wonder and reached a hand out to try. The Doctor held it still but allowed her to touch it. The sound produced wasn't as pleasing to the ear as when the Doctor did it, but still sweet. She laughed softly. "That's lovely."

"It's a musical instrument," the man behind the desk spoke up. Elm immediately withdrew her hand.

The Doctor straightened and offered it back to him. "And it's a long way from home."

Standing, the man snatched it back. "Let me try." He began rubbing the instrument, applying too much pressure. The previously pleasant sounds turned harsh under his hand.

"It's delicate," the Doctor hinted, "reacts to the smallest fingerprint." The man eased up and was able to draw a nice noise from the object. The Doctor smiled. "Very good. Quite the expert."

The man smirked and tossed the instrument aside. Elm flinched when it hit the floor.

"As are you," he said. "Who are you?"

The Doctor frowned. "I'm the Doctor, and who are you?"

"Like you don't know," the man replied in a mocking tone. "We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of alien artifacts in the world, and you just happen to stumble in?"

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah," the Doctor said with a shrug.

"How did you get in?" the man questioned. "Fifty-three floors down with your little cat burglar accomplices." He smirked and looked the girls up and down. "You're quite the collector yourself. I prefer the blonde as a personal preference, but curly can be fun too."

"This blonde's gonna smack you if you keep talking like that," Rose seethed.

"She's English too!" the man exclaimed. "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy, got you a girlfriend."

The younger man smiled apologetically. "This is Mister Henry Van Statten."

Rose and Elm exchanged a glance. "I don't recognize the name," Elm murmured with a shrug.

"Who's he when he's at home?" Rose challenged.

"Mister Van Statten owns the internet."

Rose scoffed. "Don't be stupid. No one owns the internet."

Van Statten laughed. "And let's keep the world thinking that way."

"So," the Doctor cut in. "You're an expert in just about everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up."

"You claim greater knowledge?" Van Statten challenged.

The Doctor laughed. "I don't need to make claims. I know how good I am."

"And yet I captured you. Right next to the cage. What were you doing down there?"

"You tell me."

Van Statten leaned back in his chair. "The cage contains my one living specimen."

Elm felt her stomach turn at the thought of Van Statten owning some poor alien.

The Doctor seemed to share the sentiment as he glared at the man. "And what's that?"

"Like you don't know," Van Statten scoffed.

"Show me."

"You want to see it?"

"Blimey," Rose interrupted with a laugh. "You can smell the testosterone."

Elm shifted closer to the younger woman, watching the two men. The Doctor and Van Statten sized each other up, and she was half sure a punch was going to be thrown.

Van Statten had other ideas. "Goddard," he addressed the woman in the room who had previously stood silent. "Inform the cage we're heading down. English," he spoke to the young man without breaking eye contact with the Doctor. "Look after the girls. And you, Doctor with no name, come and see my pet."

OoOoOoO

English introduced himself as Adam, and lead Rose and Elm through the facility. The room they ended up in was filled with boxes upon boxes of alien junk. Elm immediately set upon one and lifted something out of it.

"Careful!" Adam exclaimed, crossing the room to take it away from her. "We don't know what half of these things do."

"Where does Van Statten get all this from?" she questioned, picking up another trinket from the box. It was made of a bronze looking metal and was very circular.

Adam snatched it away from her as well. "Auctions and things. Now don't touch, alright? It's a little messy but everything's where it's supposed to be."

Elm relented. "Alright, sorry."

"So how'd you end up here?" Rose questioned, drawing Adam's attention away.

"Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit," Adam replied with a smug grin. "I was recruited as soon as I turned 18."

Rose smiled and bit her lip. "Oh, so you're a genius, then?"

He shrugged. "Sorry, but yeah. Can't help it," he leaned forward. "When I was eight, I logged onto the US Defense System. Nearly caused World War Three."

"What and that's funny?" Rose queried.

"You should have seen them running around, trying to figure it out!" he laughed. "Fantastic."

Elm tuned out the rest of their conversation in favor of looking around the room. Most of the boxes were just filled with odd pieces of scrap metal, but some were shaped and crafted. Adam had a particularly smooth piece of rock on his desk, and she couldn't help but run her fingers over it. Static electricity licked at her hand, and she giggled at the sensation.

"Elm?"

Rose's voice startled her so bad that she jumped back from the rock. "What?"

"Adam was just saying he can show us Van Statten's live specimen," Rose replied. "You want to see it too, right?"

"Oh!" Elm approached the computer the young adults were standing by. "Yeah! I do, actually."

Adam tapped a few keys on his computer, talking as he navigated through the security cameras. "It doesn't do much, the alien. It's kind of useless. It's just like this great big pepper pot."

He double clicked on one particular screen, which expanded to show a secure room. Inside was a creature that did look a bit like a pepper pot. It also seemed to be armed with a whisk and a plunger, so Elm supposed it must have been some sort of weird maid robot. Unless, of course, there was a creature inside.

A person in a large hazmat suit approached the robot-creature and flicked a switch. The creature screamed.

Elm flinched back at the sound. "What? What's he doing?!"

"And where's the Doctor?" Rose demanded.

Adam looked between the women helplessly. "I don't know. Really, I don't."

"We've got to do something," Elm insisted. "We can't just stand here and watch!"

Rose nodded and gave Adam a hard look. "Take us there."

OoOoOoO

Adam relented without much resistance. It was back on the floor they originally landed on, and they passed the TARDIS on the way. The young man didn't give it a second glance.

Armed security officers and scientists worked around the cage, all intent on doing their jobs. One of the officers tried to stop Adam from passing, but he simply held up a card.

"Level three access," he said, glancing at Rose as he added. "Special clearance from Mister Van Statten."

The officer scowled but backed off, opening the door to the smaller containment room. The trio entered without incident.

The size of the creature surprised Elm. It was shorter than herself, though only by an inch or two. Its body was chained to the floor, hardly cared for as the metal rusted. The eye-stalk that extended from its body glowed blue and stared at them as they approached.

"Hello," she said in a soft voice. "I'm Elm Smith and this is Rose Tyler. We saw what just happened to you. I am so, so sorry."

"We have a friend who can help," Rose added. "Are you in pain?"

"Yes." The creature's voice was electronic and distorted. It sounded strained. "They torture me, but they fear me. Do you fear me?"

"No," Rose replied.

Elm shifted closer to the robot. "We just want to help you."

It's eye-stalk lowered. "I am dying."

"Our friend, he's a sort of doctor," Rose explained.

"I welcome death," the creature responded. It sounded bitter. "I am alone. But I am glad that before I die, I met humans who were not afraid."

"Don't give up hope," Elm pleaded. Reaching a hand forward, she gently placed it on the dome head of the robot. "Just hang on a bit longer."

There was a beat of silence when suddenly Elm's hand began to burn. She jerked the limb away with a yelp. Her glowing red hand-print was left as the being began shaking. The chains holding it in place snapped as its voice rose to a shout. "Genetic material extrapolated. Initiate cellular reconstruction!"

The door to the cage opened and closed swiftly. A man entered holding a drill of some sort and shoved past the young women. He stood before the free robot with confidence. It looked at him silently. "What are you going to do? Sucker me to death?"

Elm watched in horror as the robot did just that, crushing the man's head with its plunger. The door opened just enough to allow Elm, Rose, and Adam through before slamming shut. They were quickly ushered aside as the armed guards took position in front of the door.

"It killed him!" Rose exclaimed, gripping Elm's hand in her own. She looked at her friend. "It tricked us!"

Elm looked around the room for some sort of solution. The red emergency lights made it hard to concentrate, but she was able to spot a familiar face on a nearby monitor. She pulled Rose over and nudged the man who was already speaking into it out of the way.

"It's all my fault, Doc," she said, staring hard at the image of her friend. "I touched it and it broke free."

"What do we do?" Rose asked. Every other second she would glance back at the cage.

The guard that was shoved aside didn't acknowledge the interruption. "I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out, that lock has got a billion combinations."

The Doctor stared hard at his companions before looking at the guard. "A Dalek can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat."

The door to the cage burst open.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted over the sound of gunfire. "Rose, Elm, you've got to run!"

They didn't hesitate. Following after one of the security officers and Adam, they raced down the hall. The screams of the dying echoed behind them.

When they reached the stairwell, Rose laughed. "Stairs! It hasn't got legs, so it'll be stuck!"

"There's no time for celebration," the armed guard insisted. "Up the stairs, now!"

The young people complied and got up one flight when the robot hit the base of the stairs. It stared up at them with its cold blue eye-light. Something in Elm's gut told her to run.

Adam grinned. "Great big alien death machine defeated by a flight of stairs."

"This can stop now," Elm began, her voice shaking minutely. "I understand you're angry over how they've treated you, but we can sort this out like civilized people."

"Let me handle this," the guard interrupted. She stepped forward and pointed her gun at the creature. "I demand you return to your cage. If you want to negotiate I can guarantee Mister van Statten will be willing to talk. I demand you surrender. I accept we imprisoned you, and maybe that was wrong. But people have died, and that stops now. I demand you surrender. Is that clear?"

There was a beat of silence before the Dalek spoke. "Elevate!" Its body lifted from the ground with a hum of energy and it began approaching them. It was slow but deliberate, ascending with the staircase.

"Oh my god," Rose gasped.

The security officer wasn't deterred as she stared at the creature. "Adam," she began. "Get them out of here."

"No!" Elm exclaimed. "We aren't leaving you!"

Its body lifted from the ground with a hum of energy and it began approaching them.

The woman shook her head. "Someone's got to try. Now get out and don't look back. Just run." When they didn't, she turned toward them. "Now!"

Adam grabbed Rose and pulled her away, inadvertently pulling Elm as she clung to her friend. The guard's scream pierced the air as they reached the next floor. This area of the underground facility was large and filled with armed guards. They trained their guns on the three when they entered, and Elm lifted her hands.

"Civilians!" the leader shouted. The guns were lowered. "You three get the hell out of here!"

They didn't need to be told twice this time. The trio ran through the room to the next staircase. The cycle of hallway and staircase repeated over and over, tiring them out. They didn't have any choice but the stairs, however, as the elevator was stalled.

Elm's phone rang. She answered it but didn't stop running. "Hello?"

"Where are you?" It was the Doctor, and he sounded worried.

Elm looked around for some sort of indicator. "Level 49. Why?"

The Doctor made a frustrated noise. "The vault is being sealed off at level 46."

"Well, that's just four more floors," she responded loud enough so that her companions could hear. "Can you slow them down enough so that we can get through?"

"I can't. I can't help you," the Doctor said. "Now for god's sake, run."

Elm shoved her phone back into her pocket with invigorated speed.

At every floor, they'd pause for mere seconds to catch their breath before starting up again. Elm's legs and lungs burned, and from the sound of them, Rose and Adam weren't doing much better. With adrenaline and terror, they kept going and reached level 46.

Elm got out her phone as soon as she saw the painted numbers and dialed the Doctor. "We're nearly there." They turned a corner and there, at the end of the hall, were the closing security doors. "I can see them! Give us two seconds."

If the Doctor responded, she didn't hear. Adam was in the lead and the first through, ducking under the already half closed door. Elm followed, sliding on her knees to get under. She turned around, expecting to see her friend, but was met with the slamming of steel.

Time seemed to freeze. Rose was right behind her, she was sure of it, but there was no sign of the younger girl. Which meant she didn't get through. Rose was sealed in. Alone.

"No," Elm whispered, dropping her phone in favor of pounding on the security door. "No, no no. Rose! Rose!"

Distantly, she noticed Adam pick up her phone and shove it into his pocket. He grabbed her arm. "We've got to go."

"Like hell!" she screamed. "We're not leaving her behind. I'm not leaving her behind!"

"There's nothing we can do!" the young man shouted back. He grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward the now working elevator. "I'm not going getting fired because I lost both of you. Let's go!"

Elm fought against him but was unable to get out of his grasp in time. The elevator doors closed, and they ascended. Wiping a hand over her cheek, Elm realized she was crying.

The lift opened and the Doctor was instantly upon her.

"Are you alright?" he questioned, examining her before scanning the now empty lift. "Where's Rose?"

Elm broke. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she choked on her words.

Adam answered instead. "She didn't make it."

"She didn't make it?" the Doctor questioned, his voice disbelieving. "What, you mean she didn't make the lift?"

"She-she was right behind me," Elm stuttered out between sobs. "I-I didn't check to make sure. She's stuck down there. Oh, god, Rosie's stuck down there."

The Doctor stared at her, unblinking and unable to speak.

Van Statten spoke up from across the room. "I'm sorry."

"She was only here because of me," the Doctor began, his voice growing louder with every word. He turned toward Van Statten and pointed an accusing finger his way. "And you're sorry? I could've killed that Dalek before it got out, but you stopped me."

"It was the prize of my collection!" the man defended. "I only wanted to touch the stars."

The Doctor scoffed. "You wanted to drag the stars down and stick them underground and label them. You're about as far from the stars as you can get. Rose was nineteen years old and you took her down with you too."

"You should've listened to me and not touched anything," Adam said after a moment. He stared Elm down. "It's all gone to hell because of you."

"You don't start," the Doctor demanded, turning on the younger man.

"But he's right," Elm murmured. "This is all my fault. It tricked me and I fell for it. Now Rose is-"

A harsh voice interrupted her. "Open the bulkhead or Rose Tyler dies."

Everyone in the room spun around to look at the computer monitor. The Dalek held Rose at gunpoint in front of the metal doors. She was frightened but wasn't harmed.

"Rosie!" Elm exclaimed, running forward to the monitor. She wiped at her eyes to make sure she was seeing right. "You're alive!"

Rose smiled at her friend's voice. "Can't get rid of me so easily."

"We thought you were dead," the Doctor spoke up.

The Dalek cut in. "Open the bulkhead!"

"No!" Rose exclaimed. "Don't do it!"

The Dalek's eye-light stared directly into the camera. "What is the use of emotions if you will not save those who you care for?"

Elm looked up at the Doctor. "Please, Doc. I can't lose her too."

The Doctor stared down at his companion before nodding. "I killed her once. I can't do it again." He pressed a key on the keyboard, and the monitor went blank.

"What do we do now, you bleeding heart?" Van Statten demanded. "You said that was the only way to stop it, so what the hell do we do now?"

"Kill it when it gets here," Adam replied like it was the obvious answer.

Goddard, who Elm hadn't noticed before, shook her head. "All the guns are useless, and the alien weapons are in the vault."

"Only the cataloged ones," Adam said. He shrunk under Van Statten's glare. "I might've kept a few, in my workshop."

"Good, you can lead the way then. You two," he pointed at Van Statten and Goddard. "Stay. Elm, you're with me."

She shook her head. "I'm staying."

"Elm," he took a step forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Daleks aren't like anything you've faced. I've seen them in action. They fought against my people in the war, and they can't be reasoned with. If I can't save Rose-"

"Rose is alive, and she's staying that way. I'll make sure of it," Elm replied. She squared herself to stare the Doctor down. "I've got to be here when she comes through."

The Doctor stared at the young woman for a long moment before sighing. "I'll be five minutes. Don't provoke it. Get Rose and get out."

Elm managed a smile. "Sir, yes sir."

He scoffed and patted her head once before following after Adam.

The lift dinged within a minute of them leaving.

The Dalek rolled into the room and immediately paused upon seeing Van Statten.

"Just be calm," Rose advised.

"Van Statten," the alien began. "You tortured me. Why?"

The man's eyes widened. "I wanted to help you!" he blurted. "I was just trying to help. I wanted you better," the Dalek continued to approach the man, who grew more panicked. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I just wanted you to talk!”

The Dalek stopped mere inches from his captor. "Then here me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"No!" Elm exclaimed. Her outburst drew the attention of the creature and its eye-stalk swung toward her.

"Elm Smith," it began, its voice strained. "You revived me. You contaminated me. What did you do?! What did you do?!"

"I-I don't know," she looked to Rose helplessly. "What does it mean?"

"It's questioning itself. It wanted to kill me but couldn't," Rose explained.

"But that's good!" Elm looked into the Dalek's big blue eye. "There doesn't need to be any more killing. There's more to life than that."

"Then what do I do?" the Dalek questioned. "You created me, you order me. Tell me. Tell me!"

Elm clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her hands. "What-What do you want to do?"

"I want," it paused as if trying to find the words. "I want freedom."

Without another word, it backed away from Van Statten and left the room. Once it was out of the way Elm hugged Rose tight. "I thought I lost you."

"Nah, you're stuck with me forever," Rose replied, hugging her friend back. They separated after a moment and Rose dragged Elm along after the Dalek. "We've got to follow it, in case it tries to attack someone."

The Dalek lead them through one hall into another before coming to a stop. It then slowly lifted its gun toward the ceiling and shot. Concrete broke apart, allowing a beam of sunlight through.

Rose smiled. "Never thought I'd see the sun again."

"It's warm," Elm hummed.

"Is it?" the Dalek questioned. "I want… I want to feel it."

Elm and Rose stood transfixed as the Dalek's shell opened. Within the tank-like body of the robot was a tiny alien. It was sickly, with one yellow eye that was half-lidded. One of its tentacle-like appendages lifted, seemingly drawn to the light.

"Get out of the way!" The voice came out of nowhere, causing the girls to spin around. It was the Doctor. His voice was like thunder during a rainstorm, cold and booming. He held a massive gun in his hands. "Get out of the way, now!"

Rose stood stubbornly in front of the creature. "I won't let you do this."

The Doctor glared at his companions. "That thing has killed hundreds of people! Now move."

"No," Elm said as well, taking a position next to Rose. "I can't let you murder it."

"It's dangerous!" he insisted.

Rose gave him a long look. "It's not the one pointing the gun right now."

"I've got to do this," the Doctor said. As he spoke, his voice cracked. "I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left."

"Doctor, just look at it!" Elm insisted, stepping away so the Doctor could see the creature. "Just look."

The Doctor lowered his weapon. "What's it doing?"

"It's the sunlight," Rose replied. "That's all it wants."

The Doctor looked lost as he stared at his mortal enemy. "But it can't."

"But it is," Rose began. "It couldn't kill me. It couldn't kill Elm. It's changing."

"If you shot it now, it would be in cold blood," Elm said, gesturing to the creature. "The killing has got to stop, Doc, on both sides. You told us your war was over. Let it stay that way."

"I couldn't," the Doctor dropped his weapon. The metal clattered to the floor as he stared at his companions with wide eyes. "I wasn't," his voice broke. "They're all dead."

It was then the Dalek spoke. It's breathing was labored as it stared at the Doctor with its real eye. "Why do we survive?"

The Doctor's voice was flat when he responded. "I don't know."

"I am the last of the Daleks."

"You're not even that," the Doctor replied. "Elm did more than regenerate you. You've absorbed her DNA. You're mutating."

"Into what?"

The Doctor looked upon his enemy with pity. "Something new. I'm sorry."

Rose looked between the Doctor and the creature. "Isn't that better?"

"Not for a Dalek."

"I can feel so many things," the Dalek began, its voice slow. "So much darkness. Elm Smith, give me orders. Order me to die."

Elm's eyes widened and her breath quickened. "I-I can't do that! You can't do that. That's not a solution!"

"This is not a life," the Dalek argued. "This is sickness. I shall not be like you. Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!"

"No, no, no, I can't, not that," she looked to Rose. Her hands and voice shook. "I can't. I'm sorry."

Rose put a hand on Elm's shoulder and stepped forward. "I can." She looked at the sick creature and swallowed thickly. "Do it."

"Are you frightened?"

"Yeah."

"So am I," it replied. "Exterminate!" The Dalek floated into the air as the orbs that covered its armor detached. They surrounded the creature and, in one flash of light, it was gone.

OoOoOoO

The time travelers exchanged no words on their walk back to the TARDIS. Elm had both the Doctor's and Rose's hands in an iron-like grip, unwilling to let go until they got back to the blue box.

The Doctor patted it fondly. "A little piece of home, better than nothing."

"But the Dalek survived. Maybe some of your people did too," Rose said, looking up at the alien man.

He shook his head. "I'd know. In here,” he tapped his head. “Feels like there's no one.”

"Well then," Rose grinned. "Good thing Elm and I aren't going anywhere."

The Doctor smiled at his companions. "Yeah."

"Yeah," Elm echoed and tried to smile. "Plus you've got all my things."

The Doctor laughed. "Like I care about your things."

Elm laughed as well, feeling a pressure lift from her chest. Stepping forward, she gave the Doctor a tight hug. She pulled away before he got to reciprocate. "So, can we go in now? I'm sort of hungry."

"Hey!" The time travelers turned in unison to see Adam. The young man was running up to them, a duffel bag thrown over his shoulder. "We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared, and they're closing down the base."

Rose approached the younger man to talk with relative privacy, leaving the Doctor and Elm. The alien man looked down at his her with a conflicted look on his face. "Did you know someone who-"

"Yeah," Elm replied before he could finish his sentence. She didn't want to think about it.

"Ah," he lifted his eyes to look anywhere but at Elm. "Well, if you need to talk-"

"Don't worry about it, Doc, it was years ago," Elm cut in once again. "I don't need to talk about it."

The Doctor nodded. "Good, because I was going to say not to talk about it with me," he shrugged. "I'm not that sort of doctor."

"I'm starting to doubt you're any sort of doctor," Elm mused. "I've got a developing theory that you call yourself that to sound smart."

"Oi!" the Doctor exclaimed. "I am smart! Smarter than an ape, at least."

"Sure Doc," she replied with a teasing smile. "Just keep telling yourself that."

Rose and Adam rejoined them by the TARDIS before the Doctor got a chance to respond.

"Doctor, Adam and I just had a talk. He's always wanted to see the stars," Rose began. She glanced over at the young man before redirecting her attention to the Doctor. "Plus he's all on his own, with no job."

"What a shame," the Doctor said flippantly.

"Doctor, he did help," Rose pointed out.

The Doctor was incredulous. "Are you seriously suggesting what I think you are? He's got an ego the size of the planet!"

"So do you!" Rose pointed out.

"At least I've got the intelligence to back it up."

"Oi!" Adam objected.

"I dunno," Elm cut in. "It could be fun to have him along. The more the merrier." Catching the Doctor's narrowed eyes, she raised her hands in surrender. "If the driver wants."

"What are you lot going on about?" Adam questioned. He gestured over his shoulder toward the exit. "We've got to leave."

The Doctor gave the young man a long look before sighing and glancing at Rose. "It helps that he's pretty, doesn't it?"

Rose bit her lip and shrugged. "I hadn't noticed."

"Oh your head," the Doctor relented. "But he steps one toe out of line, he's out, got it?"

Rose smiled brilliantly. "Yeah, yeah! I've got it!"

The alien man unlocked his time ship and headed inside, followed closely by Elm and Rose. Adam stepped in just after, stalling in the doorway.

"Welcome to the TARDIS," Rose said with a wave of her hands.

The young man breathed. "It's bigger on the inside."

"Yeah, got that," the Doctor said as he walked around the human to close the doors. "No loitering. Go occupy yourself somewhere else."

"I'm going to make an omelet," Elm announced as she headed further into the ship. "Anyone else want one?"

The Doctor poked his head around the console. "Yes, actually. No cheese-"

"Extra greens got it," Elm replied. "Rose?"

"No, ta," Rose said, giggling over Adam's shock and awe.

Elm looked over to the new time traveler. "Adam? Would you like an omelet?"

He made eye contact with her and murmured once more. "It's bigger on the inside."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Canonical suicide (the Dalek), implied suicide (it is implied that Elm knows someone who committed suicide).


	8. The Long Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you ever do anything else?" she questioned after taking a large bite of apple. It was just the right balance between sweet and tart.  
> The Doctor didn't bother looking at her and continued to work. "Of course I do."  
> "Next you'll be telling me you sleep," Elm teased.

 

Alternate Title: Is a slave a slave if they don't know they're a slave?

Elm walked out of her room with a towel around her neck. Her hair hung in loose wet curls, the sweat from running having been washed away. She left her complicated feelings in the shower and felt better for it. Having a full stomach helped as well. She made a mean omelette.

She grabbed an apple on her way through the kitchen before heading to the console room. The Doctor sat alone, tinkering with the TARDIS.

"Do you ever do anything else?" she questioned after taking a large bite of apple. It was just the right balance between sweet and tart.

The Doctor didn't bother looking at her and continued to work. "Of course I do."

"Next you'll be telling me you sleep," Elm teased. Glancing around the room, she frowned. "Do you know where Rose and Adam went?"

"Something about a tour," the Doctor replied flippantly. "They've probably gone off to snog."

"Rose might flirt a bit, but she isn't going to kiss him," Elm defended.

"We'll see."

Elm hummed but didn't respond. Turning on her heel, she wandered back down the corridor. After a minute of aimless walking, her hum turned into an off-key, whispered song. "Oh where, oh where has my little Rose gone. Oh where, oh where could she be?"

The key that hung against her chest warmed, making her pause to take it out of her shirt. It glowed ever so slightly with light.

"Curious," she murmured, lifting it to eye level. Taking a step forward made the key dim, so she took a step back instead. It brightened once more. Elm remembered then that the TARDIS was sentient. "Are you trying to tell me where they are?"

The key didn't respond, nor did the ship, but she followed the hot-cold directions of the object anyway. She'd made two right turns, then a left when she hit a dead end. A nondescript door laid before her.

"Alright, then," she muttered to herself before pushing it open.

There was a pool.

"How deep does it go?" That was Adam's voice. He and Rose sat on the edge of the pool with their feet dipped into the water.

Elm approached, listening in on their conversation.

"I don't know, actually. Only just found it the other day," Rose responded.

Adam laughed. "You know this whole place is mad, right?"

"You get used to it," Elm chipped in.

Startled, Rose squeaked and slipped forward into the pool. Elm choked on a laugh when her friend resurfaced, makeup running and coughing on water. "Elm!"

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," Elm said between choked laughs.

"You don't sound it! Come help me out!"

Still giggling, Elm grasped one of Rose's hands. Adam, containing laughter as well, grabbed the blonde's other hand. Together they hauled her out of the water. Once out, Rose stared down at her dripping clothes with disdain.

"I'm soaked through," she complained. Ringing out her hair, she glared in her friend's direction. "I'll get you back for that."

Elm grinned cheekily. "I'd like to see you try."

Rose's glare softened as she sighed. "I suppose I was planning on taking a shower anyway," she shrugged. "Just didn't want to leave Adam with the Doctor. You'll keep him company while I'm gone, yeah?"

"Sure," Elm replied. "Then we can take him on his first trip."

Rose grinned and turned to Adam. "I'll be quick as I can. Meet you in the console room?"

"Sure," the young man said with a nod.

Once Rose left the room, Elm turned to Adam. "How're you liking the TARDIS so far?"

"It's a lot to wrap my mind around," Adam replied. "It's a sort of pocket dimension, right?"

Elm tilted her head. "I don't know. That would make sense, but-" she paused when an idea suddenly came to her. "Why don't we ask the Doctor? He'll know." Grabbing Adam's hand, she tugged him out into the corridor and down the hall.

He winced but followed her lead. "I don't think the Doctor likes me much."

"He doesn't know you much," Elm corrected. They reached an intersection, and she picked a direction at random. "The Doctor's a tough nut to crack, but he's good at heart. Just be yourself, try your best, and he'll come around."

A loud bang rang out, followed by a long string of alien curses. Releasing Adam's hand, Elm rushed forward and around a corner into the console room. She looked around for the Doctor, but couldn't see him.

"Are you alright Doc?" she called.

"Fine," the man responded gruffly. A moment passed before his head popped up on the other side of the console. His eyes flicked to Adam as the young man caught up before returning to Elm. "I thought you were getting Rose?"

Elm made a vague gesture. "She took a dip in the pool and had to shower, shouldn't take too long."

"Any reason you two are here, then?" he questioned, eyes once again moving to scrutinize Adam. "I thought I said no loitering."

Seeing an opportunity to ease the tension, Elm smiled. "Adam here has a question."

The Doctor lifted a skeptical brow. "Really?"

At the same moment, Adam sent the young woman a panicked look. "Really?"

"Yes," she responded to both of them before nudging the young man. "Go on. It's a good question."

"Right," Adam said. Taking a breath, he turned to the Doctor. "I was wondering, how did this place get to be bigger on the inside? My guess is it's another dimension, but Elm said you'd know for sure."

The Doctor's shoulders loosened as he listened to the young man's question. "As much as it pains me to admit it, you're right. The TARDIS is dimensionally transcendental. The interior exists in a different dimension than the exterior."

"But how did you do that?" Adam pushed on. "It doesn't make sense."

"Of course it doesn't, it's way beyond you," the Doctor replied with a scoff.

"How do you know that? You haven't even tried explaining it!"

"Trust me, I know."

"But-"

"Right," Elm cut in. "No need to continue that discussion. Adam, if you're really curious, you could always check the library."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Like the TARDIS would let him access future information."

"What do you mean by that?" Elm questioned. "I thought the library was accessible to everyone."

"Oh, it is, but the TARDIS has safeguards in place to ensure that people only see books from their own time periods," the Doctor explained. "You, for example, wouldn't be able to see books published after 2005."

Elm scrunched up her eyebrows. "But that doesn't make any sense, I have seen-" She was cut off by the sudden voice of her friend.

"I'm here!" Rose ran into the console room, clothes fresh and hair dry. She looked at Adam with a smile. "Told you I wouldn't be long."

"If you didn't take a swim, you would've been faster," the Doctor pointed out.

Rose sent a playful glare Elm's way. "Is that what you told him? That I took a swim?"

"Now that Rose is here, can we go?" Adam cut in. He shifted from foot to foot as he continued. "I'm still not quite sure if I believe this place can travel in time and space."

Elm smiled at the change in topic. "Go on then, Doc, show him what your blue box can do."

Taking a step back, the Doctor pulled a few levers on the console. "Right. Luckily for you, Adam, I've already keyed in the coordinates. I've half a mind to take you to Pompeii after that comment." The center of the time ship lit up momentarily before dimming once again.

Before the Doctor could explain where they were, Rose grabbed his arm. "Let's go do… environment checks. Elm, you and Adam stay here, alright?"

Elm didn't get a chance to respond before they were out the door. "Huh."

"Is that… normal?" Adam questioned, staring at the doors with a mixture of anticipation and confusion.

She shrugged but didn't respond.

A moment later Rose re-entered, grabbed Adam, and pulled him out by his arm. Elm followed after.

"Oh my god," Adam gasped, and Elm had to agree. They were on some sort of spaceship. It reminded her of Platform 1 but wasn't nearly as clean and polished. 139 was painted onto the walls in large lettering.

"Don't worry," Rose said, peering around as well. "You'll get used to it."

Adam couldn't tear his eyes away from the futuristic furniture and art pieces surrounding them. "Where are we?"

Rose exchanged a look with the Doctor. "Good question. Judging by the, uh, architecture, I'd say we're around the year two hundred thousand. If you listen," Rose paused, allowing the noises of the ship to be heard.

"Engines," Elm chipped in. She turned to her friend and gave her a wink. "Right, Rose?"

The blonde grinned toothily and nodded. "We're on some sort of space station. It's a bit warm in here," she tugged a the collar of her jacket. "They could turn the heating down."

"Yeah, it is a bit stuffy," Elm agreed, taking off her own coat and tossing it back into the TARDIS. This left her in a button up and sweater vest. "You'd think in an advanced spaceship they'd at least have A/C."

Rose shrugged and pointed at a nearby gate. "Let's try that gate! I've got a feeling." She lead them across the room, through a security door and up a few stairs to a viewing platform. Outside was planet Earth, just as beautiful as Elm remembered it. "It's a-well, I'll let the Doctor describe it."

"The Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire," the alien man explained. "This is planet Earth at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons, population ninety-six billion. The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species. And here's mankind, right in the middle."

"Brilliant," Elm murmured. She glanced to her left to see how the newbie was taking it. He seemed to share her awe, though expressed it in a different way. He collapsed to the ground.

The Doctor sighed.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Adam came to within a minute, and the Doctor took over escorting the humans. They left the viewing platform in favor of a more spacious room. The alien man spoke to his companions as they walked. "This is a fantastic piece of history. The human race is at its most intelligent. This era has got fine food, good manners-"

A man rushed past them, shoving the Doctor as he went. "Out of the way!"

Floor 139 burst to life in an instant. Food-stands opened, people entered, and the noise of life filled the room. Elm stayed close to her friends in an effort not to be ran-over, but couldn't help but stare at the closest food cart. They were advertising something called a-

"What's a Kronkburger?" she questioned, sniffing the air. "Just smells like fast food to me."

Rose scrunched up her nose. "Fine cuisine?"

"My watch must be wrong," the Doctor said. Frowning, he glanced down at said accessory before looking around again. "No, it's fine. Weird."

"Or maybe your history isn't as good as you thought," Rose teased.

The Doctor's frown deepened. "My history's perfect."

"Maybe we're just in the slums?" Elm suggested. "Though that doesn't explain why everyone's human."

Adam looked around curiously. "Right, where're all the aliens?"

"Good question. Very good question," the Doctor seemed almost surprised. "How about some food?"

"What?" Adam asked, confused at the sudden change in topic.

"I'd like to try one of those burgers," Elm said in a rush.

Grinning, the alien man approached the food-cart. "Oi, mate, how much is a Kronkburger?"

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart," the chef responded in a patronizing voice. "Now join the queue."

The Doctor snapped his fingers. "Right, we need money. And for money, we need a cash point." He shoved his way through the crowds to a wall-mounted screen that resembled an ATM. Elm watched as he used his sonic on the device. A pen-sized metal strip dispensed from the machine, which he handed to Adam. "There you go. Don't spend it all on sweets."

Adam examined the object in his hands. "How does it work?"

"Go find out!" the Doctor urged. "Thing is, Adam, time travel is a bit like visiting Paris. You've gotta throw yourself in. Eat strange food, speak incorrectly, kiss a few strangers." Rose laughed at Adam's confused expression. "Stop asking how and just go do!"

"C'mon then," Rose said. She linked her arm through Adam's and began tugging him away. "Let's go kiss a few strangers!"

Elm smiled as she watched her friend walk away. Once the blonde was out of sight, she turned toward the Doctor and her carefree attitude dropped. The alien man seemed troubled. "What's wrong?"

"Something's seriously off here," the Doctor replied. "My history isn't wrong, this place is."

"So we're going to investigate?" Elm said with a sigh. "But I really wanted to try some futuristic food."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "How about this. You help me figure out what's plaguing your species' future, and I'll take you somewhere special."

"Deal," Elm said quickly. "So, what's the plan?"

"The dumb tourist always works," the Doctor said with a shrug. "Come on." He pulled her away from the busy lunch area to the outskirts of the crowd. Two women made their way across the floor just ahead of them, and the Doctor made a B-line toward them. "Excuse me," he called, making them pause in their walk. He smiled at their puzzled expressions. "This is going to sound daft, but can you tell me where I am?"

"Floor 139," one of the women replied. Her dark hair was tightly braided and interwoven with beads. "Can't get any bigger, can it?"

"Floor 139, yeah, but what of?" the Doctor questioned.

Elm watched in amusement as the women exchanged glances. The one with beads in her hair gave Elm a pitying look. "Quite the bloke you've got there."

"You're on Satellite Five," the other woman said with a cheery smile. She had light brown hair that hung loosely to her shoulders.

"And what's that?" Elm questioned.

The first woman rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're made for each other. How can you get on board without knowing where you are?"

"Look at us, we're stupid," the Doctor said. He rolled on his toes before leaning back again, maintaining his pleasant smile. Elm matched his grin with one of her own.

The brunette gasped. "Oh, are you a test? A management test?"

"You've got me," the Doctor replied, pulling out his psychic paper. "Well done."

The two women inspected his 'credentials' for a moment, then the brunette nodded. "We've got to be versed in company promotion," she nudged her companion. "They warned us about this in basic training."

"Right then," the first woman said. She rolled her shoulders as she continued. "Ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor 500, I'll do anything."

The Doctor quirked a brow. "What happens on Floor 500?"

"The walls are made of gold," the woman replied. "You should know that."

Elm nodded. "Of course, just another test. Pretend we're completely oblivious."

The woman nodded and lead them to a wall of screens. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Latest news… sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day. Spacelane 37 closed because of sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Boe has just announced he's pregnant."

The Doctor shrugged apathetically. "I get it. You broadcast the news."

"We are the news," the woman argued. "We write it, package it, and sell it."

Elm hummed in thought. "And how do you do that? What's the process?"

"I'd be happy to show you!" the woman exclaimed with false cheer. As she spoke, a loud buzzer sounded off. It must have been some sort of signal, as the occupants of the room promptly began packing up. The woman they were speaking to smiled wider. "Just in time. If you'd follow me."

The Doctor held up a finger. "Wait, let me call our associates." Turning around, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted. "Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!"

The thinning crowd made it possible to see Rose and Adam sitting at a table together. Rose perked up at the Doctor's call and hurried over. Adam followed closely after.

"Alright," the Doctor said, turning back to the women. "Now we're ready. Lead on."

 

OoOoOoO

 

The time travelers were lead to a pristine white room filled with technology they couldn't identify. As they ascended up to a raised platform, a few people streamed in. They sat in a circle around a raised chair in the center of the room. Elm leaned against a railing and watched with interest as the woman with braids took charge.

"Behave, everyone," she said to her subordinates. "We have a management inspection." She glanced toward the Doctor. "How do you want it? By the book?"

The Doctor nodded. "Right from scratch, thanks."

"Okay, so, ladies, gentlemen, multisex, undecided or robot, my name is Cathica Santini Kadainy," she looked toward the Doctor. "That's Cathica with a 'C', in case you want to write to Floor 500. Feel free to ask questions," she looked back to her subordinates. "Company policy states that the process of news gathering must be open, honest, and unbiased."

The brunette from before raised her hand. "Um, actually, it's the law that says that."

Cathica glared at the young woman. "Yes, thank you Suki," she took a breath and sat down on the raised chair. "Keep it calm, no showing off and here we go." She laid back, and the other staff shifted to hold their hands out in front of them. "Engage safety," those holding their hands out placed them onto their stations, "and spike!"

The walls lit up as Cathica snapped her fingers. The action seemed to be a command of some sort, as her forehead opened up to reveal her brain. Elm watched wide-eyed was a blue light beamed directly into it.

"What's that?" Adam questioned, leaning against the wall for support.

"Compressed information," the Doctor replied. "Reports from everywhere are being packed inside her head and sent out. She wasn't kidding when she said they were the news."

"That's insane," Elm remarked. She walked down the ramp off of the viewing platform to get a closer look.

Rose looked at Cathica curiously. "If it all goes through her, she must be a genius."

"Nah, she can't remember it. There's just too much there," the Doctor said. He descended from the platform as well, circling Cathica opposite to Elm. Rose followed him. "The brain is just the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets."

"But what about everyone else? What do they do?" Adam asked, gesturing to the other people in the room.

"They've all got tiny chips in their heads connecting them to her. Every fact in the empire beams out of here," the Doctor explained. As he spoke, he circled back around and up to the observation area. Elm followed.

"That's dangerous, though," she said with a frown. "If there's only one source of information, even if the law says they've got to be open and honest, how would anyone even know if there was bias? The whole world's perception of reality is in this Station's hands."

The Doctor nodded grimly. "That's what I call power."

Adam, who Elm had nearly forgotten about, gagged. He was pale and shaken. "I can see her brain."

"Do you want to go?" Rose questioned, placing a comforting hand on his back.

"No," he shook his head. "This tech is amazing."

"It's wrong."

Everyone turned toward the Doctor. The alien man looked like he was deep in thought and stared hard at Cathica.

"What do you mean?" Elm asked. "What's wrong?"

"This technology," the Doctor replied. "It's all wrong."

Rose grinned cheekily. "Trouble?"

"Oh yeah."

Without warning, one of the people on the outer circle flinched back from her station. It was Suki, and she rubbed her hands uncomfortably as everyone else were pulled out as well. Cathica glared at the girl.

"I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?"

Elm looked the young woman up and down. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Suki replied, though she didn't look it. "Must've been a glitch."

Cathica groaned irritably and slid off her seat. "I'll have to do maintenance." She looked over toward the Doctor. "I hope this doesn't affect my promotion?"

He shifted, caught in his lie. "Well-"

A bright blue screen flickering to life on the far wall interrupted him. Large blocked text announced a promotion as overhead speakers said the same.

Cathica gasped and clasped her hands together. "Come on, this is it. Make it me. Say my name, say my name!"

Elm frowned as she stared at the enthused woman. After an unnecessarily long pause, a name flashed on the screen. The speaker spoke in tandem with the announcement. "Promotion for Suki Macrae Cantrell. Please proceed to Floor 500!"

Suki laughed. "Me? I don't believe it."

As she spoke, her colleges rose and left the room, no doubt wanting a break. Cathica and Suki remained, however, as did the travelers.

"How the hell did you manage that?" Cathica burst. "I'm above you!"

A disbelieving smile worked its way onto Suki's face. "I don't know, I just applied on the off chance!"

Cathica sighed. "That's not fair, I've been applying for years."

"What's on Floor 500?" Rose questioned in a whisper.

"The walls are made of gold," the Doctor answered. He stared Suki down with inquisitive eyes.

Suki insisted that they all walk her to the elevator to send her off. The young woman practically skipped the whole way there, and Elm couldn't help but admire her cheer.

"I'm going to miss you Cathica," Suki said. A large smile seemed to be permanently fixed to her face. "And you two," she turned to the time travelers. "Thank you so much!"

The Doctor shrugged. "We didn't do anything."

"You're my lucky charms," she insisted. "Would it be too much to ask for a hug?"

"Nah," the Doctor replied, opening his arms. "I'll hug anyone."

They hugged for just a moment before separating. Elm stepped forward then to get a hug as well. As she did, Rose and Adam broke off from the group.

"Congratulations," she said to the young woman. "And good luck up there!"

"Thank you!"

An announcement came over the speakers as they spoke. "Staff are reminded that the 16-40 break session has been shortened by ten minutes. Thank you."

"Oh, I've got to go," Suki gasped. "I can't keep them waiting! Cathica, say goodbye to Steve for me?" She stepped into the elevator, bag slung over her shoulder. "Bye!"

The doors closed and Cathica scoffed. "Good riddance."

"You talk like you'll never see her again," the Doctor remarked. "She's only going upstairs."

"We won't see her again. Once you go to Floor 500, you never come back," she replied offhandedly. Turning on her heel, she made her way back to the broadcasting room.

The Doctor and Elm exchanged a concerned look before following her. Rose joined them soon after, sans Adam.

"You've never seen anyone from Floor 500?" Elm prodded.

"No, they never come down this far," she glanced at them. "Bet you have, though. Management is on what, 488 or so?"

Neither confirming nor denying, the Doctor pressed on. "Have you ever been up there?"

"I can't," she replied with a grumpy look. "Only people who've been chosen can go." Once back at her station, she picked up a clipboard and gestured toward the door. "Look, can we give it a rest? I've only got twenty minutes for maintenance, and you're obviously not going to promote me."

The Doctor ignored her request and sat down on the broadcast chair. Both Elm and Rose stood behind him, leaning against it. "You've never been to another floor, though? Not even one down?"

Cathica sighed as she checked Suki's old station. "I went to Floor 16 when I first arrived. That's medical. Then I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor," she said as if reciting a slogan of some kind. Pausing mid-step, she turned toward the Doctor. "Everyone knows that. You're-you're not management, are you?"

"At last, she's clever," the Doctor replied with a smirk.

"Whatever it is you're doing, don't involve me," the woman insisted, heading to another station. "I don't know anything."

"You're a journalist, right?" Elm questioned. "Aren't you the least bit curious about what's going on? Something is very obviously wrong here."

"For example," the Doctor cut in. "Answer me this, why's the crew all human?"

Cathica paused. "What?"

"There are no aliens on board, why?" the Doctor reiterated.

"I don't know, they're not banned or anything," the woman replied after a moment of thought.

"Where are they, then?" Rose asked.

Cathica shrugged. "I suppose immigration's tightened up, with all the threats."

"What threats?"

"I don't know, the usual stuff," she said shortly. "And the price of space warp has doubled. Oh, and Chavic Five's government collapsed. Just…" she made a vague gesture. "Lots of little reasons, that's all."

"Adding up to the one great big fact," the Doctor snapped. "And you didn't even notice."

"You're so used to it that you don't even question it anymore," Elm said with a hum. Looking Cathica over, she asked. "How long has it been since you've seen a different species? Must've been a while if you're this apathetic toward the problem."

"Look, if there was some kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would've seen it," the woman insisted. "We see everything."

The Doctor scoffed. "I can see better, and this society is the wrong shape. Even the technology is backward."

"It's cutting edge!"

"There's a great big door in your head!" the Doctor exclaimed. "You lot should've chucked that out years ago. The Great and Bountiful Human Empire has been stunted, set back about ninety years." He turned toward Cathica. "When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

Even the skeptical woman looked stunned as she answered him. "Ninety-one years ago."

 

OoOoOoO

 

The Doctor insisted on being lead to the mainframe, and Cathica complied. Elm felt sorry for the woman. Everything she believed in was being turned on its head. She seemed to snap out of her shock when the Doctor opened the computer's cover, though.

"You're not allowed to actually touch it!" she exclaimed. "You're going to get us in trouble!"

"Rose, tell her to button it," the Doctor replied. He opened yet another hatch, which revealed numerous wires and a small screen.

Rose was busy helping the alien man sort out the wires, so Elm turned to the woman instead. "We'll be fine. No one's noticed us yet."

"You're vandalizing the place!" Cathica argued. "Even if they don't get you now, they will eventually!"

Figuring Cathica was going to freak out no matter what she said, Elm turned back to the Doctor. "What're you doing?"

"Gaining access to the mainframe so we can see what's going on here," he replied as he pulled out a bunch of wires. After soldering a few with his sonic, he glanced at his companion. "Any theories yet?"

"Based purely on past experience, alien invaders is usually the answer," Elm responded. She tapped her fingers on her leg as she thought about the situation at hand. "Then again, though, it could just be some guy who rose to the top or something along those lines. Whoever it is, they've got control of the media and have been manipulating everyone from the shadows." She glanced to the still ranting Cathica before continuing. "That means they probably don't care about recognition, just power."

"All good points," the Doctor replied.

"You're all mad," Cathica burst. "I'm going back to work." Despite her words, the woman hesitated.

"Go on, then," the Doctor replied in a cheery voice. He glanced to his other companion next. "How about you, Rose, any ideas?"

"I can hardly think with how bloody hot it is!" Rose exclaimed, wiping a hand across her forehead.

"Got any explanation for that, Cathica?" the Doctor questioned the woman who had yet to leave.

"I don't know," she muttered. "We keep asking. Something to do with the turbine."

"Something to do with the turbine," the Doctor parroted with a patronizing tone.

She glared at the man. "Well, I don't know!"

"Exactly. Some journalist you are. Look at Rose and Elm. They're thinking, asking questions, theorizing. You're just stagnant," the Doctor ranted. Elm and Rose exchanged a small smile at the Doctor's compliment. He wasn't one to flatter. "And you know, Rose, that really is a good point. Why is it so hot?"

Cathica scoffed. "One minute you're going on about empires, now you're talking about the plumbing."

Ignoring the irritated woman, the Doctor straightened the touchscreen monitor. Using his sonic, he was able to pull up the schematics of the plumbing. He grinned.

"Would you look at that."

Cathica gasped and grabbed the screen away from him. "You've got access to the computer's core! You could look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange, and you're looking at the pipes?"

"There's something wrong," the Doctor responded.

The woman looked over the schematics and shrugged. "I suppose it is a bit odd."

"Why?" Rose cut in. "What is it?"

Elm examined the screen while Cathica explained. "The ventilation system is working to channel massive amounts of heat down."

The Doctor smirked triumphantly. "All the way from the top. Floor 500."

"Could it be the engines?" Elm suggested.

Cathica shook her head. "No, those on Floors 1 through 3."

"Well, whatever it is, I feel like I'm missing a party," Rose said. "Fancy a trip?"

"You can't!" Cathica insisted. "You'd need a key."

"Keys are just codes, and it's giving me one right now. Override 215.9," the Doctor read off the monitor. "Someone up there must like me."

Elm frowned and ran a hand through her hair. "This smells like a trap."

"Let's not leave them waiting too long then, eh?" the Doctor replied with a manic grin.

The elevator stood open, almost waiting for them when they got to it. The time travelers entered without hesitation. Cathica, meanwhile, stared at them incredulously.

Rose gestured the woman forward. "Come with us!"

"No way!" she said. "And don't mention my name when you get into trouble either. Keep me out of this." Turning around, she rushed away, leaving the trio alone.

The Doctor looked down at his companions. "That's her gone, and Adam's given up. Looks like it's just us three."

"Yeah," Rose replied with a tongue and cheek smile.

"Good company at least," Elm added, looping her arm with Rose's.

The alien man gave the girls a fond smile before entering the override code. The doors to the lift closed immediately, and the metal box began rising at a rapid pace. It took mere minutes for it to go up several hundred floors.

Then the doors opened, and the three stepped out.

"Well, the walls aren't made of gold," the Doctor observed.

They most definitely were not. Contrasting with the temperature downstairs, Floor 500 was freezing. It was so cold, in fact, that frost covered nearly every surface. The floor was abandoned and in ruins. Goosebumps rose on Elm's arms, and she mentally wished she'd kept her coat.

"You two should go back," the Doctor said after a moment.

Rose scoffed and walked around the man. "Tough."

Elm followed after her friend, ignoring the annoyed look the Doctor was giving them.

He sighed. "Well at least stay behind me, then."

Neither girl argued as the Doctor lead them around. The floor grew worse the further they proceeded, with the bodies of the long dead sitting in old, torn chairs. The sounds of computers drew the three onward and up a little ramp into a control room of sorts. People sat at terminals that lined the walls, but none moved. A man stood in the center of them, with his back to the time travelers. Everything about him was pale, from his hair to his skin. Elm shivered when he turned around, as his grin was snakelike.

"This is fascinating," he began, voice lit with excitement. "Satellite Five contains every bit of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements. You three don't exist. No birth, no job, nothing. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"

Before any more could be said, Rose gasped and lurched forward. Elm felt her stomach turn when she saw why. Sitting at one of the terminals was Suki, and the lively girl was completely unresponsive.

"Suki?" Rose called. She approached the girl and nudged her. "Hello? Can you hear me?" When Suki continued to be silent, Rose turned to the unfamiliar man. "What have you done to her?"

"She's dead," the Doctor spoke up. He looked around the room with disgust. "All of them are. Those chips in their heads are controlling them like puppets."

The stranger gasped in delight. "Oh, you're full of information, aren't you? But it's only fair we get some back, it's rare not to know something. So, who are you?"

The Doctor shook his head and gestures for his companions to come back to him. "It doesn't matter, because we're off. Nice to meet you."

Taking a step forward, Elm was about to take Rose's hand when suddenly her arm was grabbed. One of the puppets was gripping her with a vice-like grip. She felt her breath hitch when she saw that both Rose and the Doctor were restrained as well.

"Tell me who you are," the man tried again, speaking slower.

The Doctor scoffed. "Since that information is keeping us alive, I'm hardly going to say, am I?" His gaze flicked to the girls before returning to the man.

"Well," their captor said, drawing out the word. "Perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise."

The Doctor leaned toward him. "And who's that?"

"It may interest you to know that this is not the 'Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire," he began with a laugh. "In fact, it's not human at all. This empire is merely a place where humans happen to live." Elm jumped when a vicious snarl echoed in the room. The man frowned. "Yes, sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live, by kind permission of my client." He snapped his fingers and pointed upwards.

A creature loomed above them, and Elm felt her throat go dry. It was massive, with slimy looking skin and one large mouth filled with pointed teeth. It snapped at them, unable to do much as it was stuck to the ceiling. As far as Elm could tell, it had no limbs.

"What is that?" Rose squeaked.

The Doctor stared at the creature with wide eyes. "You mean that thing is in charge of Satellite Five?"

"That thing," the man frowned. "As you put it, is in charge of the human race. For nearly a hundred years, he's guided mankind, controlled them, through the news. While I do assist him, as is my job as the Editor, he has been humanity's guiding light. The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe," the Editor grinned. "I call him Max. Back to my question, I have just the thing to motivate some answers." He pressed a few keys on one of the terminals, and manacles lowered from the ceiling. The time travelers put up a fight but were ultimately restrained side by side in the cuffs. The Editor seemed almost amused at their struggle. "You'd be surprised how much use those things get. The system is almost perfect, but there are a few dissenters now and then."

"You've got humanity isolated from the rest of the universe," Elm said, testing her restraints. "How?"

He shrugged. "Create a climate of fear, and it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word repeated often enough can do brilliant things. Destabilize an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote."

Rose glared. "So all the people on Earth are slaves?"

"Well, now, there's an interesting point," the Editor began. "Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

"Yes," the Doctor answered shortly.

The pale man frowned. "I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all you're going to say? Yes?"

"Yes."

"You're no fun," the Editor complained.

"You want fun?" the Doctor growled. "Let me out of these manacles, you'll find out how fun I am."

"Oh! He's tough, isn't he?" the Editor laughed mockingly. "But come on, isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit."

"About as much as I admire Stalin," Elm snapped.

"With something as big as this, someone's got to have noticed," Rose objected. "You've already said you've had dissenters."

"From time to time," he hummed. "But the chip system allows me to see inside their brains. Even the smallest doubt can be detected and crushed. Then they carry on, strutting around like they're individual. They're not, of course. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."

Elm opened her mouth to respond but shut it when she noticed something. On a security camera monitor behind the Editor was Cathica, slowly sneaking around. She had to withhold a grin.

"But you're human," Rose argued. "Not a Jagra-whatever."

"Being human doesn't pay very well," he replied.

"It always comes down to that, doesn't it?" Elm snapped, twisting her wrists in their bindings. She had to bite back the panic that being restrained gave her. "You'd really enslave a whole species of people, stunt their growth, for more money?"

"It makes the world go 'round, as the old saying goes," the man answered in a hum. "I represent a consortium of banks. The Jagrafess is a long-term investment."

There was a beat of silence, and then the Doctor spoke. "What's it's lifespan?"

"Three thousand years."

"That's one hell of a metabolism to generate all that heat," the Doctor said. He looked at his companions. "That's why Satellite Five is so hot, he pumps it out of the Jargrafess and channels it downstairs. This whole place is one great big life support system."

Elm glanced up at the creature above them. "What happens if that system gets shut down?"

"Boom."

"And that," the Editor interrupted. "Is why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, and you are an unknown. So I'll ask again, who are you?"

When the Doctor didn't immediately respond, the Editor sighed and snapped his fingers. Elm breath was stolen from her as electricity surged through her body. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rose and the Doctor being treated the same. She wanted to scream, to shout, but found she couldn't move. Then, all at once, it stopped.

As they fought to get their composure back, the Editor continued badgering them. "Who are you? Tell me, or next time the voltage is higher."

"No," the Doctor burst. "Leave them alone. I'm the Doctor. They're Rose Tyler and Elm Smith. We're nothing, no one."

"That didn't answer my question," the Editor snapped. "Who do you work for? Who sent you? Who else knows? Who exactly-" he paused, eyes growing wide. He stood stock still for a moment before smiling like the cat who caught the canary. "Time Lord."

Elm jolted like she had been shocked again. "What?"

"What?" the Doctor asked at the same time.

"Oh, yes," the Editor laughed. "The last of the Time Lords in his traveling machine." He patted Rose's cheek before twisting one of Elm's curls. Her skin crawled. "And his little human girls from so long ago."

The Doctor gritted his teeth. "Someone's been telling you lies."

"Young Adam Mitchell?" the Editor questioned, snapping his fingers once more. The monitor at the end of the room showed Adam, strapped down to one of the broadcasting chairs. His skull was open, and he seemed frozen in place.

Rose gasped. "Oh my god, his head."

"What the hell has he done?" the Doctor demanded. "What the hell has he gone and done? They're reading his mind, he's telling them everything!"

"And through him, I know everything about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And he's nothing compared to you, Doctor. The Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your," he paused and finished coyly. "T-A-R-D-I-S."

The Doctor jerked in his restraints. "You'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first!"

"Die all you want," the Editor shrugged. "I don't need you. Adam has the key, and I have Adam."

"Which one of you-" the Doctor looked down at his companions and into Rose's guilty face. He rolled his eyes. "You and your boyfriends!"

The Editor cackled. "Today, we are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from developing at all! Time is in our control!"

The Doctor glanced at the monitors behind the man, as did Elm. Cathica was listening in and sounded horrified at what she was hearing. "And no one will stop you, because you've bred a human race that doesn't ask questions. They'll believe every lie, trot right into the slaughterhouse if they're told it's made of gold." As the Doctor ranted, Elm watched Cathica straighten and move out of sight.

"Of course they will," the Editor replied with a triumphant grin. "That's all they ever do. I-" He was interrupted by an alarm. The terminals behind him flashed red, and he hastily turned to see what was wrong. "What was that?"

The large monitor switched from viewing Adam to Cathica. She was sitting in a broadcast chair, a stream of light beaming into her head.

"Yes!" Elm cheered.

"She's thinking for herself," the Doctor said with a broad grin. "She's using what she knows about the pipes, the filters, and reversing it!"

The Editor grew more and more panicked as the terminals around him began sparking. The temperature began rising in the room as frost and snow melted.

Rose's manacles short-circuited, followed shortly by Elm's and the Doctor's. They quickly got away from the restraints and left the control room. The Doctor paused momentarily to say something else to the Editor, but the girls wasted no time in getting to Cathica.

While the beam of light was gone, her head was still open and she was unresponsive.

Elm stared down at her sadly. "Is she-" she was cut off by an explosion. It shook the whole room, including a panicking Rose. The blonde had to hold onto the wall to keep steady.

"What was that?!"

The Doctor entered and answered. "The Jargrafess." He snapped his fingers and Cathica's head closed on command. She came to within moments, and the Doctor gave her a large smile. "Good work."

 

OoOoOoO

 

"We can't stay." The time travelers plus Cathica had taken the elevator back to Floor 139. Everyone was in a panic, trying to figure out what was going on and what to do. The Doctor stood with his hands in his pockets. "Too many questions. You'll manage on your own."

"You can't leave," Cathica insisted. "No one's going to believe this."

"They'll start believing now. The human race should be back on track," the Doctor replied with a soft smile.

Elm gave the woman pat on the back. "With all that's happened, they'll need a good journalist to cover the story. I think you've just been promoted."

Cathica let out a laugh. "I guess so." Her smile faded as she looked past them. "What about your friend?"

The three turned around and there, by the TARDIS, was Adam. The young man was looking around nervously.

"He's not my friend," the Doctor growled, storming off toward the offender. Rose followed shortly to mediate.

Elm turned back to Cathica with an apologetic smile. "I guess we're leaving now. It was really nice to meet you." She stepped forward to hug the woman. "Good luck."

"You too," she replied as they separated. "With whatever it is you do."

The young woman smiled gratefully before heading back to the TARDIS. The timeship was like a breath of fresh air, and she rubbed one of the coral struts when she got to the console. The key around her neck warmed.

The Doctor navigated without a word and was soon dragging Adam out the door. Uninterested in that drama, Elm instead headed further into the TARDIS. She was all sweaty. Again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked it, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Thanks for reading!


	9. OA: The Ladies of Parr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He narrowed his eyes in thought before rolling them. "Right, I remember now. You valued a burger over the fate of your species."  
> "They smelled good, and it wouldn't have taken much time to get one," she defended. "Regardless, a deal is a deal."

****Alternate Title: Does the Doctor actually know how to drive the TARDIS?

"So, Doc, what makes this place so special?"

The Doctor paused to give his companion a confused glance. "When did I say it was special?"

Elm returned his look with one of her own. "You said you'd take us someplace special next time 'round? This isn't it?"

He narrowed his eyes in thought before rolling them. "Right, I remember now. You valued a burger over the fate of your species."

"They smelled good, and it wouldn't have taken much time to get one," she defended. "Regardless, a deal is a deal."

"Fine," the alien man muttered. "I guess this works. Yes, Elm, this place is 'special'."

"Special?" Rose asked as joined them. "How?"

The Doctor shot his younger companion a grumpy look. "Where have you been?"

"What's it to you?" Rose snapped back.

"So," Elm stepped in. "What is this place and what makes it unique?"

It was an obvious diversion, but it did the trick. The Doctor approached the doors to the TARDIS and stood before them. With an obnoxious showman's voice, he explained their destination.

"Outside of these doors is Narr, one of the most diverse planets in M104. It's known to your planet as the Sombrero Galaxy," he lectured. "Over 100 species live on the planet, and over 300 do business here. If I've got my timing right, and I always do-"

"Except when you don't," Rose muttered.

The Doctor continued. "The Midyear Festival should be going on."

"Oh, so we get to go shopping?" Elm questioned with a beaming smile. "That's brilliant!" She tried stepping around him but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"Oi, hold on. There are some rules we need to go over beforehand. Plus, I haven't given you a credit stick yet."

"Go on then!" Elm exclaimed.

The Doctor nearly grinned at her enthusiasm but quickly squashed it down. "Right. I've got to pick up some parts while we're here, which means I'm going to have to leave you two on your own. So, the first rule is to stick together. Rule two, don't eat any food."

"Why not?" Elm asked, equal parts curious and disappointed.

"One of the key ingredients they use is toxic to your species. If you're hungry, you'll have to come back to the TARDIS."

"Anything else?" Rose cut in. She made a grab for the credit stick, but the Doctor moved it out of her reach.

"No, but I want you two back in three Earth hours," the Doctor replied, tapping his watch. He pointedly handed the credit to Elm, not Rose. The blonde frowned. "That's unlimited credits. Try not to break the economy."

"Yes, Dad," Rose mocked. "Can we go now?"

The Doctor stepped to the side and opened the door. "After you."

Elm immediately bounded out and looked around with wide eyes. It was her first alien planet, after all. They were in an alley of sorts, though it was unlike anything she had ever seen. The houses were rounded rather than square, and there were two suns in the sky. One was rising and one was setting, creating a beautiful mixture of dusk and dawn. Rose followed her out and gasped at what she saw.

"With twin suns, Narr never experiences night," the Doctor explained as he locked the TARDIS. "Do you have some way of telling the time?"

Elm nodded and got her phone out, setting a timer for three hours. "Ready."

"Good," he said with a nod. Throwing Rose a glance, he headed down a narrow passage to the right. "You two go left. Don't be late!"

Unwilling to delay, Elm grabbed Rose's arm and dragged her down the left passage. It was remarkably clean, with no graffiti or trash that she could see. Anticipation growing, Elm released Rose's hand to run the rest of the distance.

The market was, in a word, colorful. Cloth dyed a dozen different ways in neon hues was draped over stands filled with alien goods. Speaking of aliens, there was no shortage. People of different species dotted the area, speaking in a wide variety of accents. While most of them seemed normal, for aliens at least, there was an odd running trend. Every so often there would be a pair where one would walk in front of the other. The follower always wore a neutral expression, eyes trained on the leader's feet. Before Elm could wonder about it, Rose caught up with her.

"Blimey," she murmured. "That's a lot of aliens."

"It's gorgeous," Elm agreed. "Which way do you want to go?"

The blonde shrugged and together they stepped into the crowd. Moving with the flow of pedestrians, they window shopped a bit before stopping at a stand full of odds and ends. The alien running it gave them a smile that was no doubt meant to be friendly. Their pointed teeth made the gesture seem more threatening than welcoming.

Rose picked up a ball made of wires and metal. "What do you think this is?"

"No idea," Elm replied as she examined a necklace looking thing. "I've got a question though, now that we're out of the TARDIS. What's going on between you and the Doctor?"

Rose paused and set down the ball thing. "I dunno what you're talking about."

"You two are obviously fighting about something," Elm said with a sigh. "What happened after you dropped off Adam?" When the girl refused to answer Elm stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rosie?"

"He hasn't given me the TARDIS key back," the younger girl burst. Stepping away from her friend, she turned away and crossed her arms over her chest. "I asked for it, and he says I can't be trusted. He called me an ape. An ape!"

Elm narrowed her brow in thought. "Have you apologized yet?"

Rose spun around and gaped at her friend. "What? What for?"

"You did give a key to his home and transport to a relative stranger," Elm pointed out. She lifted an alien rock to her eye to look at it closer. "Maybe if you apologize, he'll give it back."

"What, so you're taking his side?" Rose questioned. There was an injured look in her eye that made Elm set the stone down.

"I'm always on your side, Rose. The TARDIS is his, though. He's got the right to withhold the key from you if he feels he can't trust you with it. I think apologizing would be a good first step to making it better."

The girl frowned, though it was in thought, not offense. "That... makes sense. I'll think about it." Averting her eyes, she continued. "Can we talk about something else now?"

"Sure!" Elm exclaimed. "I need your opinion." Lifting a broad feathered hat to her head, she smiled. "Does the alienness of this hat affect my status as a no-hats-whatsoever person?"

All seriousness washed from Rose's face as she broke into giggles. "Oh my god, take that off. You look ridiculous."

Elm adjusted the ordainment. "Really? I think it'd be a good conversation starter. Plus, it matches my bird socks."

"More like a conversation stopper," Rose replied. Snatching it away from her friend's head, she set it aside. "It makes you look like a nutter."

"I'm considering changing my wardrobe up a bit. Seeing as I'm not a full-time Professor anymore, it couldn't hurt to wear regular clothes-"

"Don't you dare," Rose interrupted. "Keep your fashion choices beneath your usual clothes, for your sake and mine."

Elm sighed. "Fine."

OoOoOoO

By the time three hours were up, the girls were loaded down with four bags each.

"Do you think Mum'll like the earrings?" Rose asked as they approached the TARDIS. Elm set down her bags to retrieve her key.

"They're big and gold. She'll love them," Elm replied as she unlocked the ship's doors. "Go on ahead."

Once Rose was inside Elm picked up her stuff and brought it in, closing the door behind her with a foot. The time ship brightened as she entered, revealing an empty console room.

"Doctor, we're back," Rose called.

When no one answered, Elm frowned. "Do you suppose he's not here yet?"

"Can't even keep his own deadlines," the younger woman complained. "I bet he got in an argument with someone."

"Says you," Elm quipped. "The person who tried to haggle down the price of a sundress."

"It was way too expensive."

"What does it matter, we have unlimited credits!"

"It's the principle of the thing," Rose argued.

"I'm sure Doc would say the same thing," Elm said. "Speaking of him, have you thought on what I said? About apologizing?"

Setting down her things, Rose collapsed in the TARDIS's seat with a sigh. "Yeah."

"And?"

"Yes, fine, I'll say I'm sorry," she relented. "I would have anyway, even if you didn't ask me to."

Elm smiled. "I knew you would. I just wanted to expedite the process. Seeing you two fight makes me itch."

Rose glanced at the doors. "How long do you think he'll be?"

"Any longer than two hours and we go looking, deal?"

"Deal."

OoOoOoO

Two hours later and the Doctor was still nowhere to be seen.

"I bet he offended someone and was arrested," Rose predicted. The two were heading down the right alley, the one the Doctor took five hours previous.

"At least we've got bail," Elm joked, patting the pocket that held their credit. By this time the sky only held one sun at about the midday position.

On the other side of the alleyway was an identical looking street to the one they went down. If anything, it was more crowded than the last.

They approached the first stall on the right.

"Excuse me," Elm began. "Did a man in a leather jacket walk by here a few hours ago?"

"Big ears, short hair?" Rose added.

The alien's face contorted in disgust. "You know this man?" Her voice sounded feminine.

Elm nodded eagerly. "Yes, he's our friend. Did you see where he went?"

Instead of answering the alien waved them away. "Leave. I do not talk to your sort."

"Oi!" Rose exclaimed indignantly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The girls were ignored in favor of a customer. Rose opened her mouth, no doubt intending to shout at the alien. Elm pulled her away before she could get the words out.

"We can't help the Doctor if you get us arrested," she pointed out. "Let's try another stall."

Face still flushed, Rose nodded and marched forward, leaving Elm to trail behind. The blonde immediately whipped out a familiar card holder. "We need information."

The alien stared at the card for a moment before jumping to attention. "How can I help you?"

Rose nodded and stuck the psychic paper back into her pocket. "We're trying to find our friend."

"He's about this tall," Elm reached her arm up to about the Doctor's height. "With short hair and blue eyes."

The alien wilted the longer Elm spoke. "Is he the same species as you two?"

"Looks like, yeah," Rose answered. "He was wearing a black leather jacket."

"Oh dear," the alien fretted. "Yes, I've seen your friend. He was arrested, taken away by the police."

Elm sighed. "What'd he do?"

"It's a bit of a complex issue, especially for off-worlders," the alien explained. She was obviously dodging the question. "I'm not native to the planet either, so I understand Parr's laws take getting used to."

Elm's eyebrows lifted. Did she hear the alien right? Parr? The Doctor said they were on Narr.

"Just give us the shorthand version," Rose pushed before Elm could question it.

The alien hesitated for a moment longer before sighing. "Your friend's been arrested for crimes against the Social Code."

"The Social Code?" Elm questioned. "What's that?"

"From what I understand, it was developed a century ago when females became the dominant sex. Your friend was walking around by himself as an unclaimed male. That was bad on its own, but the way he was walking…" the alien sighed. "He was being very disrespectful and immodest."

"Wait a sec, so women run the world here?" Rose questioned with a giddy sort of excitement. "And the Doctor was arrested because he wasn't modest enough?" she giggled. "This is rich."

While Rose fought to regain her composure, Elm's mouth fell into a concerned frown. "Where did they take him?"

"Probably the city's male holding center," the alien pointed to their left. "Walk that way and you'll get there eventually. I'm certain that if you explain the situation, they'll let him go on the grounds of diplomatic immunity. What planet are you from again?"

"Terribly sorry, but we've got to go. Thank you for the information," Elm replied in a rush, grabbing Rose's arm to pull her away. Once they were out of earshot, she spoke. "What did the psychic paper tell her we are? And where'd you get it?"

"I think some sort of diplomat," Rose said between giggles. "I snatched it off the Doctor when he was being a git earlier. I just wanted to tease him, but now he's gotten himself arrested. For immodesty!" she laughed again.

Elm fretted. "What if they don't let him go?"

"He'll be fine," Rose said, waving off Elm's concerns with a hand. "Can't get into any more trouble locked up, can he?"

OoOoOoO

"Say again?"

"The male you are trying to collect has already been claimed," the receptionist repeated to the flabbergasted humans.

"But he was with us!" Rose exclaimed. "Who'd take someone else's… erm… male?"

The receptionist sighed. "The ways of royalty are a mystery to ordinary folk. He was rather exotic. It's likely he was claimed for the Queen's harem."

"The Queen? Harem?!" Rose squeaked, her voice rising with every word. "What-why-how-"

"We need to see him," Elm interjected. "He was our pilot and has information on, uh, flight… patterns. Yes. Flight patterns. Is there any way we could speak to him before he's taken to the…"

"Palace?"

Elm nodded. "Yes, there."

Tapping a finger on her desk, the alien nodded hesitantly. "I suppose you could request a meeting over at special holdings. That's where he's being held now."

"And where's that?" Rose questioned.

"Two buildings over. You'll need to present your ID to get in," the alien said. "You should hurry. Once males go into the palace, they rarely come back out."

A cold feeling settled onto Elm. They needed a plan.

OoOoOoO

Marching up to the gate with all the authority she could muster, Elm held up the psychic paper. "Royal guard. Here to collect the exotic male."

The guard hurried to let them in. "Usually, it takes longer for you to collect. We haven't had the chance to wash him."

"Rush order," Rose replied with a toothy smile. "We're supposed to collect his things too. You mind showing me where those are?"

"Of course," the guard replied. Handing Elm a key, she pointed left. "He's number 3 in the Bad Wolf section."

Elm nodded and immediately headed down the hall. Turns out the guard wasn't pointing to the Doctor, but rather to a map of the facility. The Bad Wolf section was on the right of the second floor. She repeated those directions to herself as she ascended the stairs. After reaching the section, it was straightforward with the numbering system.

Double checking to make sure she had it right, Elm unlocked the strange metal door. The Doctor sat on a cushioned chain the in the corner, hands cuffed in thick restraints. He flashed her a toothy grin, and she had to fight against her instinct to hug him.

"Please stand and come this way. I'm here to collect you."

"Of course," he replied with a wink. "Took a bit longer than expected."

Elm smiled to herself as she lead him back down the stairs. "In our defense, you weren't where you were supposed to be. They treat you alright?"

"Fine, though I did get a nasty shock to the back when I first tried running," he complained. "I think they used a cattle prod!"

"Resistance is futile," Elm replied with a giggle. "You should know, my associate thought this was hilarious."

"She would."

As if summoned by their conversation, Rose joined them. The guard from before was with her as well, and Elm immediately made her face neutral. "Did you get everything?"

"Yeah," Rose said, holding up a bag. Glancing behind her friend at the Doctor, she smiled. "Looks like you did too."

Elm turned to the guard. "If there's nothing else, we should get going. Can't keep the Queen waiting."

"No, no, of course not," the guard replied. "Though there is some paperwork, you understand…"

"We could come back after dropping him off," Rose suggested. "We've wasted enough time as is."

The guard seemed wary, though nodded. "If you're certain you'll remember."

"Yes, expect us by the end of the day," Elm replied, feeling a bit guilty. Hopefully, the poor woman wouldn't get in trouble.

Nodding to herself, the alien opened the door for them. "I'd be careful escorting him. He's slippery."

Rose let out a laugh. "Thanks, we know."

Keeping up their ruse, the girls escorted the Doctor down the street. They got a number of odd looks, though none that lingered. They didn't stop pretending until they were well away from government buildings.

"Have you got my sonic?" the Doctor asked immediately. Rose gave him the device, and the Doctor awkwardly positioned his hands to unlock the cuffs. As soon as he was free Elm jumped him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I'm glad you're alright," she said before pulling away. "Was worried when we found out you were arrested."

The Doctor seemed frozen for a moment before jerking his head. "It took you long enough, was wondering if I'd been abandoned."

"'s not like we could've left without you," Rose defended. "We thought you might've gotten in a fight."

"I did, and wasn't lying about the cattle prod," the alien man winced and rubbed his back. "That's going to sting for a few days."

"It's your own fault for being so immodest," the younger woman teased.

"About that," Elm cut in. "Why didn't you tell us about the Social Code? You could've at least warned us you might get arrested."

The Doctor shuffled from foot to foot. "I would've, if I'd known we were on Parr."

"Parr?" Elm questioned. "I thought we were on Narr?"

"Parr is Narr's sister planet, identical in nearly every way besides..." he trailed off. "Regardless, it's an easy mistake to make, getting those two mixed up."

Rose opened her mouth to speak, no doubt meaning to tease, when the sound of shouting reached their ears.

Elm's eyes widened. "Do you suppose that's for us?"

"I'd rather not find out," the Doctor replied. Grabbing a hand from each of his companions, he grinned. "Run!"

OoOoOoO

The human girls collapsed on the grated floor of the TARDIS, chests heaving. Unaffected, the Doctor quickly flipped a switch to dematerialize the ship.

"Well, that was exciting," he said after a moment. "Did you two manage to get any shopping done while I was being interrogated?"

"A bit," Rose replied after a breath. "Did you get the things you needed?"

The Doctor frowned. "No. We'll have to go to another market."

"Double check your coordinates this time, alright Doc?" Elm said as she stood from the ground. She helped her friend stand as well. "But before we do that, I think Rose has something she needs to talk to you about."

"I do?" said girl questioned. Elm gave her a meaningful look, and understanding dawned on her face. "Right. Yeah, I do."

"What is it?" he questioned, still messing with the console.

After an encouraging hand squeeze from Elm, Rose spoke. "I'm sorry for giving the key to Adam. I shouldn't have and won't ever do it again," she sighed. "If you ever give it back, that is."

For a moment the Doctor paused. Then, with a flourish, he pulled a switch. "Thank you. Now, if that's all, you ready to actually experience Narr during the Midyear Festival?"

"If you're certain you've landed us in the right place," Elm replied.

"Of course I have. I never make the same mistake twice. How about you, Rose? Ready to see more of the universe?" He turned so that they could see half his face. He was smiling.

Rose smiled as well. "Enough talk, let's go!"

 


	10. Father's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I haven't mentioned this before, but my dad died when I was a baby," Rose explained. "My mum always said that he would've loved to see me now so, I was thinking, could we go see him? While he was still alive?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up dear readers, emotions run hot in this chapter. Comment responses in endnotes.
> 
> CONTENT WARNING see endnotes for details.

Alternate Title: Is death avoidable?

The Doctor leaned back in the console seat, tossing around a rubber ducky as he thought of somewhere to go. "Ayter III is supposed to be nice this time of year."

"What time of year?" Elm questioned with a laugh. "We've got a time machine."

The Doctor winked. "Exactly."

Rose shifted off the coral strut she was leaning against to get closer to her friends. "Actually, I've got a request if that's alright."

"Sure, go right ahead," the Doctor replied, stuffing the duck back into his pocket.

Elm examined her friend from across the console. Rose was biting her lip and fiddling with her fingers, clear signs that she was nervous. The older woman straightened in preparation of what her friend would say.

"I haven't mentioned this before, but my dad died when I was a baby," Rose explained. "My mum always said that he would've loved to see me now so, I was thinking, could we go see him? While he was still alive?"

The Doctor sat up and looked over his youngest companion. "Where'd this come from?"

"If we can't, if it goes against the laws of time or something, then never mind," Rose snapped. She shrunk into herself and crossed her arms. "Forget I even mentioned it."

"I never said that," t/he Doctor corrected. "I can do anything. I'm just worried about you."

"I want to see him," Rose said, voice wavering.

A look of contemplation crossed over the Doctor's face but was gone within sections. He smiled. "Your wish is my command. When would you like to go?"

Rose's eyes widened. "Really? I can see him?"

"Sure," the Doctor replied with a shrug. "So long as you don't meet yourself, seeing your parents in the past is fair game. Have you got a date in mind?"

"They got married on September 10th, 1986," Rose said. "It was at the register's office, but I don't know which one-"

"That's fine," the Doctor cut in, already tapping away at the monitor. "I'm sure I can find it myself."

While the Doctor was distracted, Elm approached her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I've just been thinking about him recently. I'm fine," Rose reassured her.

Pulling her in for a quick hug, Elm murmured. "Okay, but if it gets overwhelming, there's no shame in leaving."

Rose nodded. "Thanks, but I've got this."

"We're here," the Doctor interrupted. "Ready to go?"

Gripping Elm's hand tight in her own, Rose followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS. The walk to the register's office was short, though the place was full of people by the time they arrived. They managed to nab three seats near the center of the room, and no one questioned their presence. Two men stood at the front of the room, speaking in low voices.

Everyone quieted when the music began. It wasn't fancy, just someone playing 'Bridal Chorus' on a stereo, but it was enough. Jackie emerged from the back room, dressed in white with her hair done up and walked the aisle. It was then that Elm realized that the young man at the front of the room was Peter Tyler. She had met him once at a family gathering when she was a child, though hardly paid him a passing glance. She was much too busy being tugged around by her Grandmother to do much else.

The register speaking snapped her out of her memories. He was giving a generic marriage speech but was cut off by Jackie.

"Just get to the point," she snapped. "We haven't got all day."

Elm could feel the Doctor shaking with contained laughter beside her. Rose just tightened her grip on her hand.

The registrar cleared his throat. "Very well. Please, repeat after me. 'I Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Angela Suzette Prentice'..."

"I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you," Rose's father paused. "Jacqueline Suzanne, eh, Suzette. Anita?"

"Oh, just carry on," Jackie interrupted. "It's good enough for Lady Di."

The registrar nodded and continued. "'To be my lawful wedded wife, to love and behold 'till death do us part.'"

As the ceremony continued, Rose leaned into her friend. "I thought he'd be taller."

"Most men on that side of the family aren't," Elm replied.

The ceremony ended with a kiss, as most do. Everyone in attendance quickly stood to congratulate the new couple, clogging the aisle and the front. Rose looked like she wanted to say something, but Jackie pulled her new husband away before she could get the chance. She sighed.

OoOoOoO

"I didn't even get a chance to talk to him," Rose complained when they re-entered the TARDIS. "In all her stories, Mum didn't mention pulling Dad away for a snog."

"They never do," the Doctor replied. "We could try again, on a different date. Any ideas?"

"Actually, yeah," Rose said, nodding. "My dad, um," she took a fortifying breath. "He was hit by a car. Died by the time the ambulance got there. My mum always wished that someone had been there for him, so he didn't die alone." Elm opened her mouth, though Rose cut her off before she could speak. "I've been thinking on this for a while, so before you ask, I'm sure." She turned to the alien man. "Please, Doctor. He doesn't have to die alone."

The Doctor hummed under his breath. "I can do it."

Rose visibly relaxed. "Thank you."

"Date?"

"November 7th, 1987," Rose answered. "Jordan Road."

OoOoOoO

"It's so weird," Rose remarked as she stepped out of the TARDIS. "Thought it'd be grim and stormy, but it's just an ordinary day."

"Rose, before we do this, can I talk to you for a second?" Elm questioned. After getting a nod in the positive, she pulled her friend to the side. "I know you're sure about this, but you need to know. This sort of thing, it sticks to you. Are you absolutely, 100%, sure you're ready for that?"

The girl pulled away and crossed her arms. "Look, I know you're just trying to look out for me, but stop. I know what I'm doing. I'm not going to let my Dad die alone just 'cause it might be rough for me."

"Right, fine. Sorry," Elm said in surrender. She took a step back. "Just thought I'd say. You're braver than me."

Rose didn't respond, just nodded and lead the way to Jordan Road. Elm followed at a short distance behind her and the Doctor. They were a street away, so it took a minute to get there, but when they did Rose stopped short of the street.

"This is it," she said softly. Reaching out, she took Elm's hand in her's. She spoke to them, though couldn't pull her eyes away from the road. "He was late picking up a wedding present; a vase. Mum always said, that stupid vase."

As she explained, a green van drove around the corner and parked at the curb. "He got out of his car," she narrated. "And crossed the road. Oh god, this is it."

Pete Tyler was only just past his van when a car sped around the corner and hit him. The perpetrator was quick to speed away after that, leaving the man to die with a now broken vase as his only company.

Rose seemed frozen, only able to stare.

Elm put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Rose?"

Turning on her heel, the young woman ran away from her dying father. Elm and the Doctor exchanged a look before following after. Rose was leaning on a brick wall just around the corner, breathing hard.

"He was so still," she murmured as she stared blankly forward. As she spoke, the sound of sirens approached. "By the time the ambulance got there, he was dead. He's gone." She looked up at the Doctor with misty eyes. "Can I try again?"

OoOoOoO

The second time around, the time travelers approached from a different direction. The Doctor was very careful as he lead them to Jordan Road, avoiding the route they took previously. It was clear why when they peeked around the last corner and watched themselves walk up to the curb.

"That's us from the first time," the Doctor explained, pointing at the identical group. "This is a very bad idea, but we should be fine if they don't see us." He turned to Rose. "Wait till they leave, then go to your dad."

While Rose listened intently to the Doctor, Elm stared at their previous selves. Seeing herself from an outsider's point of view was strange and made something twist in her stomach. Some primal part of herself was telling her that this was wrong.

Her attention was drawn away when Pete pulled up to the curb in his van.

Rose visibly shuttered. "I can't do this."

"You don't have to," Elm assured her.

"No, you don't, but this is the last time we can be here," the Doctor advised. "So decide fast."

The time travelers could hear the approaching car as Pete got out of his own. As he did, Rose took a step forward. Elm assumed it was in preparation of the inevitable, but that thought was dashed when the girl ran forward.

"Rose!" the Doctor shouted. "No!"

The girl didn't listen. She ran forward, straight past their previous selves, and into the street. Just as the car was about to hit her dad, she shoved him out of the way. Elm watched wide-eyed as their other selves disappeared, and a shiver wracked her frame.

"Doctor," she questioned in a faltering voice. "What just-"

"A paradox," he answered, voice cold.

She glanced up at him and examined his unreadable face. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he replied. "Just got a bit of perspective."

"Oi, you two, c'mon!" Rose called from the street. She was now standing and talking to Pete. "He's offered to give us a lift!"

The Doctor seemed reluctant to move, so Elm took initiative and approached the car. She could hear the Doctor's following footsteps.

"Hello," she greeted with a slight wave. She was smiling, though knew it looked strained. "Elm Smith, nice to meet you."

"Blimey isn't this a day for coincidences. First Rose, now you," Pete said with a slight laugh. "I've got a niece by that exact name."

Elm chuckled nervously. "Common name, Smith."

"Suppose so," Pete conceded. Turning to their alien companion, he smiled. "And you are?"

"The Doctor," he replied shortly.

Pete's smile dropped slightly. "Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor."

"Right, don't want to be late for the wedding," Rose cut in.

"The wife would kill me," Pete added with a nervous laugh. "First I've got to change, though. Can't exactly wear this. You can come in while you wait, there's no reason to stand out in the cold. St. Pauls is a five-minute drive, so we won't be late."

Rose smiled. "That'd be lovely, ta."

Pete smiled back and lead them up a familiar flight of stairs to the Tyler's flat. It was the same space, the same rooms, and yet it was totally different. Items were strewn around that Elm couldn't identify, and she figured they must've been Pete's.

"Right, sorry about the clutter," said man apologized as he walked them in. "If you want a cup of tea, the kitchen's just down there. Milk is in the fridge," he laughed to himself. "Where else would you put the milk? Mind you; there's always a window sill," his eyes grew distant as he continued speaking. "I always thought it'd be clever if someone would make a window sill with compartments. You know, one for milk, one for yogurt. Could make a lot of money from that, should write it down." A beat of silence passed as the guests stared at the dazed man. He shook his head. "Anyway, never mind, excuse me." He walked back around them again and entered the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Rose immediately stepped forward and looked over the mementos. "Mum still has this stuff. His stuff. It's all packed away in boxes. She'd show it to me after a few drinks and here it is, on display. Where it should be," she glanced over at her friends. When she saw the Doctor's cold expression, she was quick to turn around. "Oh! Health drinks! Tonics, mum used to call them. This is how he'd make money, selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs and ideas. And look!" she crossed the room to some blueprints laid out on the table. "Solar power! Mum said he was going to do this. Now he can!" she looked once again at the Doctor. When she didn't see what she wanted, she sighed. "Alright, what is it?"

"When we met," the Doctor began, voice low. "I said you could travel with me in space, and you said no. Then you heard time travel."

Rose scoffed. "It wasn't some big plan. I just saw it and thought, I can stop it."

"I did it again; I picked another stupid ape," he laughed sharply. "It's not about showing you the universe, it never is. It's about the universe doing something for you."

"So it's okay for you to go to the past and save lives, but not me? And not my dad?" she crossed her arms. "Don't think I don't know about the Titanic. It's not fair!"

"I know what I'm doing, you don't," the Doctor snapped back. "Two sets of us being there made it a vulnerable point."

"But he's alive!"

The Doctor sighed. "My entire planet died, my whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?"

"But I haven't changed history!" Rose exclaimed. "Not much."

"Rose, there's a man alive who wasn't before. An ordinary man, the most important thing in creation. How do you know you haven't changed history?" he questioned. When Rose didn't answer, he nodded. "And that's exactly why you leave the life saving to me.

Rose glared at him. "Would you rather him dead?"

"Rose. Doc. Stop," Elm finally spoke up. Raising her hands in a placating gesture, she continued. "Arguing isn't going to fix anything."

"I've already fixed it!" Rose exclaimed. "I thought you were on my side. You said you were!"

"I am, I swear, but something needs to be sorted out," Elm said after a breath. "I don't know what, but something does because we're caught in some sort of paradoxical mess."

"Are you calling my dad a mess?" the younger girl shouted. "Really? You can talk."

"Rose-"

"No, stop," Rose interrupted in a cold voice. "You're just jealous I had the guts to stand up and save my dad. Unlike you. You haven't even asked to see yours, let alone help him."

Elm stiffened in shock. "Rose, you-" she cut herself off. Shaking her head, she turned around and left without a word. The hall of the Powell Estate wasn't much better than the apartment, so she was quick to exit the building as well. The chilly November air filled her lungs as she gasped for breath, leaning on her knees for support. She was alone for only a minute or two before a raging Doctor stormed out as well.

"What was that?" he demanded.

Elm turned her head away. "I don't want to talk about it."

The Doctor moved to be in her line of sight. "Frankly, I don't care. First Adam, now Rose. How can I know you won't end up like them? That you aren't planning something?"

"I'm not. What Rose brought up is none of your business, Doctor," Elm snapped back. "She shouldn't have mentioned it in the first place. Drop it."

"You're the one who started all this. You're the one who told her it traveled in time. Seemed so excited too," he ranted. "So now, for once, I'd like to be in the loop."

Elm's eyes narrowed in frustration. "There is no loop. There is no plan. There is no secret!"

"Then I don't see why you're so reluctant to tell me!"

xXxXxXx

"My dad's dead," Elm finally shouted. Her voice echoed off the nearby buildings, causing the area around them to seem even more empty. Looking away, she quieted her voice and continued. "There's your terrible secret, Doctor. He's dead and it's my fault. He's dead because I was selfish and too wrapped up in my own problems to see he was…" she trailed off.

The Doctor's eyes widened as he listened, his shoulders hunching further and further as Elm continued. "Is he the one that-"

"I thought he was fine. He was taking his meds, going to the therapist as far as I knew," she replied in a soft voice. "I really don't like talking about this, can we move on?"

"I'm sorry," the Doctor responded. He reached out a hand but drew it back.

"It's fine. It's been a few years. I've been wanting to tell you, so you know, but there's no easy way to bring it up." Elm finally made eye contact and gave him a slight smile. "You're a good friend, and I'm glad you know now."

xXxXxXx

The Doctor averted his eyes and nodded. This time when he reached out his hand, he patted her head once, an action reminiscent of the day they first met. It dropped to his side after that, though was quickly scooped up by Elm. Sick of the alleyway at that point, she pulled him out to the street.

"You didn't know she'd do that, right?" the Doctor questioned after a beat of silence.

"No," Elm confirmed. "I would've asked about the logistics of it if I had. How's this going to affect things?"

"If I'm being honest, I don't know," the Doctor replied. "I've got a bad feeling."

Elm nodded and was just about to say something else when she halted.

When the Doctor noticed this, he stopped as well. "Elm?"

She ignored him. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Spinning around, she pulled her hand free from the Doctor and looked around widely. There was no one, though the feeling was still there. "Doc, there's…"

"What?" he questioned, looking around now as well. "What is it?"

With one last glance around, she shook her head. "Never mind. Just a feeling."

The TARDIS was in their line of sight now, and the Doctor sped ahead to unlock it. It seemed she wasn't the only paranoid one. She was about a foot away when he finally got it open and was able to see the shocked look on his face when he did.

"No."

"What is it?" she demanded, stepping forward to see. Her heart stopped. It was a regular police box. "What the-is this the wrong box?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No," he stepped inside and tested the walls. "This is the TARDIS. Something's wrong. Something's very-" his head snapped around. "Rose!"

"Rose?" Elm questioned, voice growing worried. "What's wrong with Rose? Is this because of what she did?"

"In short, yes. No time to explain. Where did they say they were going?" the Doctor questioned rapidly.

"St. Pauls," she answered immediately. "I've been to a wedding there before; we're close. This way!"

She began running, the Doctor following after. St. Pauls was past the TARDIS and down the street three blocks and a half. They then had to cut a hard right and go another few blocks. It was an easy run, as there were no obstructions on their path. No cars. No people. No birds. London was quiet.

When they reached the church, Elm was breathing hard and red in the face. Rose was standing right in front of the building, right next to Pete's car. Also in front of the church were the bridal party and a horrifying monster. The creature was large with bat-like wings and bony limbs. Its mouth was in the middle of its body, opened wide to reveal a void. It seemed no one saw it, as there was no panic.

"Rose!" Elm called, gaining the blonde's attention. The younger girl smiled at the two of them.

The Doctor's shout wiped that expression off her face. "Get in the church!"

The creature screeched, causing everyone within hearing distance to cover their ears. Swooping down, it almost got Rose, though she ducked out of the way just in time. It instead landed on one of the bridal party, absorbing her whole.

Quick to take charge, the Doctor continued to shout and shove people forward. "Get in the church! Now!"

More appeared as they rushed the building, and they absorbed two more people. A baby was crying. Once everyone was inside, the Doctor slammed the doors shut and scanned the area with his sonic.

"Will they keep those things out?" Elm questioned in a rush. She could hear the creatures screeching outside and their attempts to get in.

"This place is old. The older something is, the stronger it is," the Doctor explained. "They can't get in, but we need to make sure everything's shut tight."

"I'll go counterclockwise around the room, you go clockwise," she said, already heading to the left. The first backroom that she entered was shut tight, and she only had to check the locks before moving on. Upon entering the next area of the church, her eyes immediately zeroed in on an open window. Surging forward, she slammed it shut and locked it for good measure.

Given it was safe now, she peeked through. It was plain glass, unlike most of the windows in the church, so she had a clear view of what was going on outside. There wasn't much to look at, though. No people. No animals. No cars.

"Look at that."

The voice came from behind her, and Elm jumped in surprise. It was Pete, and he was pointing out the window. "What?" she questioned.

"Smoke," he explained, jabbing his finger for emphasis. Elm followed his gesture and saw the dark clouds rising from the city. "But no sirens. I don't think it's just us. I think these things are all over the place, maybe the whole world."

Elm heard the Doctor's sonic screwdriver before she saw him. He was checking all the openings in the room with it. "Doc?" she began, gaining his attention. "Is what Pete said true? Is this happening all over?"

The Doctor approached the window and looked toward the smoke. "Probably. It's got to do with," he paused and glanced toward Pete. "Why we came here. I'll explain later."

As he spoke, Elm spotted something out of the corner of her eye. A car was driving around the corner. She blinked and it was gone.

Before she could conclude she imagined it, Pete spoke up. "Was that a car?"

The Doctor shook his head and pulled the curtains over the window. "Not important. Don't worry about it. Elm, could you come here?"

After giving Pete one last nervous smile, Elm followed after the alien man.

"Doctor, what's going on?" she asked once they were out of earshot. "What are those things?"

"They've got a lot of names, but the most common one is Reapers," he began, voice low. "We made time vulnerable when we crossed our own timeline, so when Rose did what she did it caused a-" he paused as if gathering his thoughts. "A sort of wound. Reapers are bacteria, here to take advantage."

"So how do we heal it?" Elm questioned. "The wound, that is?"

The Doctor stared at her for a long moment. "I don't know. All we can do is sit tight. We should be safe here, for now."

Elm nodded and slumped. "Rose must be feeling horrible."

"She should be," the Doctor snapped. "This is her mess."

"She was in a hard position," Elm defended. "Besides, it's already done. No sense in hanging onto resentment."

Neither agreeing or disagreeing, the Doctor made a vague gesture. "On another note, have you checked your phone?"

"My phone?" Elm questioned. "Why would I, it's not like it works."

The Doctor's brow lifted. "Have I not fixed it yet? Give it here."

As soon as Elm got it out of her pocket, the alien man snatched it out of her hand. After holding his sonic to it for a moment, he checked something on the screen and handed it back. "Now try making a call."

Shrugging off his odd behavior, Elm dialed Charlie's number and held it to her ear. Instead of her friend's familiar voicemail, she got an odd message. "Watson, come here, I need you. Watson, come here, I need you."

"What's wrong with it?" she questioned after hanging up and trying again. "Did you break it? I don't think you messing with it is covered by the warranty."

"No, I upgraded it so I won't forget later. That-" he pointed at the phone that was still repeating the strange message. "Is a consequence of the time wound. It's the very first phone call."

Elm's eyes lit up and she held the phone up to her ear once more. "Really? That's amazing!"

The Doctor gave her a fond look. "Thought you might find it interesting. I've got to go check something out now. Stay out of trouble!"

"Normally I'd argue, but I don't think we'd be able to handle any more of it right now," Elm replied. "Thanks, Doc."

In place of a response, the Doctor gave her a slight grin before walking away.

With nothing left to do, Elm wandered out into the main area. She needed to talk to Rose. When she couldn't spot the blonde or her father, Elm looked for the mother. Jackie Tyler was easy to spot, and she looked furious. Elm approached her cautiously, well aware of her temper. "Excuse me."

"What?" the woman snapped. Elm flinched back on instinct, and Jackie sighed. "Sorry, dear, didn't mean to shout. The husband's chasing another tail and, well, you know how it is."

Elm, in fact, did not. "Uh, yeah," she responded with a nervous laugh. "Sorry to intrude, I was just wondering, have you seen my friend? She's a little younger than me and blonde."

"Have I? She's the young thing my man's been chasing!" Jackie replied angrily. "They're in the back room there, chatting. When you talk to her, could you tell her to back off?"

"Sure," Elm said, wincing at the implication. "Thanks."

Turning before Jackie could respond, Elm sped walked to where Rose was. Rather than chatting with Pete, however, both she and her father were teary-eyed. They both looked startled when she entered.

"Excuse me," she said, taking a step back. "I can go."

"No, no, it's fine," Pete said quickly. "You came with Rose, right?" His eyes widened. "Wait, if Rose is my Rose, then you must be… Elm Smith? Lola's daughter?"

Elm gaped at the man. "You know."

"I told him," Rose explained. "Don't see how it could hurt any, seeing as the world's falling to pieces."

"Blimey, how old are you now? Twenty? Twenty-one?" Pete guessed.

"Twenty-six," Elm corrected.

Pete laughed. "And how's your Mum? She get a nobel prize yet?" he joked. When she didn't immediately answer, he frowned. "She alright?"

Elm blinked rapidly. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, she's fine. On vacation right now, actually. Off seeing the world."

"Good for her," Pete replied with a grin. "She was always talking about wanting to get a bit of freedom from your nan. No offense to your nan, of course, but she's a bit of a fright."

Elm couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah."

"Anyways, I'd better go talk to the missus, smooth things over," Pete said. Turning to Rose, he said. "You should do the same with that Doctor bloke. The end of the world's a good time for that sort of thing."

He left the room after that, leaving Rose and Elm in an awkward silence.

"I'm glad you got to know him," Elm said in a quiet voice. "Got to talk to him."

"Me too," Rose replied. A moment passed before she continued. "You know, I didn't mean what I said in the flat. I was just-"

"I know," Elm interrupted. "You can't blame me for being hurt from it, though."

Rose gave her a pained look. "I'm sorry."

Hearing her friend say that was a weight off her shoulders, and Elm lunged forward to hug her. "I forgive you. I'm sorry too, for being pushy. I should've been more understanding."

"It's alright," Rose said into Elm's shoulder. She tightened her grip on her friend just slightly before stepping back and sniffling. "That's one down. Now I just need to talk to the Doctor."

"He's really upset about this," Elm warned. "Demanded to know if I'd known anything about it right after we left. Tread carefully."

"Could you," Rose paused. "Could you come with me? For moral support?"

Elm smiled wide and grabbed her friend's hand. "Of course!"

OoOoOoO

The Doctor was sitting by a baby carrier. Within it was a tiny Rose. He was talking to her in a low voice, though kept a smile on his face. He adjusted her baby blanket as they approached. "Jackie gave her to me to look after. Not very talkative, tiny you."

"I saw Mickey," Rose said in a light voice. "I think I imprinted on him like a mother chicken." She reached forward to touch the baby, but was quickly blocked by the Doctor."

"No, don't touch, you're the same person," he said in a stern tone. "That's a paradox, and we don't want one of those happening. It'll just make those things stronger. Might even let them in."

Rose sighed. "I can't do anything right, can I?"

"Since you ask, no. So don't touch the baby," he replied, speaking slowly and with emphasis.

The younger girl glared at him. "I'm not stupid."

"Could've fooled me," the Doctor snapped back. He glared at the girl for a long moment. Then, he sighed. "Alright. Fine. I'm sorry. I wasn't actually going to leave you behind. Well, maybe a bit, but not long."

"Have you got a plan yet, Doc?" Elm questioned. One of the creatures outside screeched, making her flinch instinctively.

"Not this time," he replied honestly.

Rose smiled. "You'll think of something. You always do."

"This isn't localized, it's happening all over the Earth. This and other places like it are all that's left. We won't last long, these walls aren't that old. And once they're in, I can't stop them," he sighed. "My people would've stopped this. There were laws in place to prevent this sort of thing. But they're gone now, and I'm going too."

Rose bit her lip. "I'm sorry. If I'd realized..."

As Rose spoke, Elm felt a warmth on her chest. That warmth soon turned into heat, and she quickly grabbed for what was causing it. It was the TARDIS key, glowing bright and hot. "Doctor!" she gasped. She quickly removed the necklace and held it up by the chain. "Look!"

"The key," the Doctor exclaimed. He took off his jacket to safely hold it. After a quick examination, he smiled wide. "It's still connected to the TARDIS."

OoOoOoO

After gathering everyone in their chairs, Elm and Rose sat down in the back. The Doctor began explaining his plan as soon as the group quieted.

"The inside of my ship disappeared when this all happened, but we can use this," he held up the key. "To get it back. Once I've got my ship, I can mend everything and get it back to normal. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anyone got a battery?" he questioned.

A man in the front rows stood and opened up his phone. "Will this work?"

"Fantastic," the Doctor replied. After accepting the battery, he set the key on top of it. "All I've got to do is a bit of charging," he used his sonic on the battery. "And now we can bring everyone back." He placed the key midair and, suddenly, the TARDIS appeared. It was transparent, though Elm could recognize the sound of it a mile away. The Doctor faced the crowd once more. "No one touch that key. It's charged, so if you do it's ZAP," he made a dramatic gesture. "So long as no one touches it, we'll get out of here. All of us."

Everyone started talking at once, and Elm grinned. She could practically feel the revived hope of the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pete heading back to where she and Rose were, so she quickly stood up. She didn't want to disturb their time together. With her friend occupied, she instead went up to the Doctor and jumped him with a hug.

"I knew you'd figure something out," she said into his jacket. Ending the hug with a quick squeeze, she released him and grinned. "So, how're you going to fix it?"

The startled man took a moment to respond. Shaking his head, he explained. "In addition to the safeguards, my people had ways to fix time just in case. The TARDIS has the features, so it's just a matter of getting it here."

Elm nodded and looked over to where Rose and Pete were. "And Rose's dad? What'll happen to Pete?"

"Everyone will forget all this, and what Rose changed will stay changed," the Doctor replied. "I can't say how it'll change the future. Pete Tyler's got a lot of potentials."

"How do you mean?"

"It's a time lord thing," the Doctor waved her off. "You wouldn't understand."

"Superior biology?" Elm guessed.

"You've got it."

Elm hummed. "You should let Rose know that Pete'll be fine. She's probably worried."

"I should let her stew a bit," the Doctor replied.

Elm gave him a mock stern look. "Doc."

"Alright, alright. I'm going," he relented with a tiny smile.

She watched him walk over to Rose just to be sure before turning to give them privacy. Directing her gaze to the TARDIS, she smiled.

"I can't wait till you get back," she said in a small voice. Hopefully, the time ship could hear her.

"Rose! No!"

The shout came from the back of the church. Elm spun around and watched in mute horror as Rose was handed her baby self. As if a switch was flipped, there was a terrifying screech from somewhere above her. Reacting to it, everyone began screaming, though the Doctor's voice rose above the rest. "Get behind me!" he shouted. "I'm the oldest thing in here!" He looked around the room, his eyes widening when they met Elm's. "Elm!"

It was too late. Before she could react, Elm felt a weight push her down. It was one of those creatures, its mouth open wide.

OoOoOoO

Regaining consciousness was dizzying, and the Doctor's swift embrace didn't help her nausea. With her face pressed into the man's jacket, she couldn't see much, though she could hear a wedding going on.

"Doc?" she questioned. "What happened?"

The Doctor took a step back, still gripping the sides of her arms. After looking her up and down, he asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah?" Elm said hesitantly. "Why? What-" she froze. All at once her memories came back to her. The wedding, the monsters, the TARDIS. At the forefront of them was the memory of the creature descending on her, mouth wide open. She didn't remember being in pain, but the terror of it was like a fresh wound. Her knees felt weak. "I was eaten."

The Doctor supported her before she could fall over. "A bit. Not anymore. Pete must've..." his gaze went over her shoulder.

"What?" Elm asked. Turning around slowly, she spotted Rose crouching by a man lying in the street. Pete. Next to them was a beige car with a panicking teen driver. "Did he…?"

"Seems so," the Doctor confirmed.

The duo watched as the young blonde kissed the now dead Pete Tyler on the forehead. As soon as she had her balance back, Elm sped to her friend's side and put an arm around her shoulder. "You did a good thing, Rose."

Rose sniffled and clung to her friend's jacket. "Does it get easier?"

"With time."

OoOoOoO

That 'night' in the TARDIS, Elm woke with a scream caught in her throat. Reapers haunted her mind. In the corners of her room not lit by her night-light, the darkness seemed to grow. She quickly flipped on a lamp. Instead of her bedside light turning on, the ceiling ones did at their dimmest setting. Elm sighed in relief.

"Thank you," she muttered.

As if in response, her door clicked open. When no one entered, she stood cautiously, blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Outside of the room wasn't the hall, but rather a small cozy space reminiscent of a living room. There was a moderately sized TV on one wall, with two couches and an armchair facing it. In the back of the room were pillows and blankets stacked and folded. As soon as she took a step into the room, the TV screen flickered onto some sort of movie streaming service. Delighted at the possibility of a movie, Elm wasted no time in curling up on one of the couches. Using the remote, she found and picked her favorite. It was a Princess Bride sort of night.

She was only ten minutes into the movie when the door clicked open. Elm glanced over and was unsurprised to see a bedraggled Rose. The young girl was clutching her own blanket around herself, and her eyes widened when she saw Elm.

Elm's response was to simply lift up her arm in invitation. Rose took it quickly, curling up into her friend. She passed out within moments.

Twenty minutes later the door opened again. Looking up in surprise, Elm watched the Doctor enter. He looked oddly unkempt, with his shirt skewed, and jeans swapped for sweats. He stared at her for a long moment before grabbing a blanket out of the pile and sitting heavily in the armchair. Elm continued to stare, flummoxed. When he noticed, the Doctor gave her a challenging look, which made her eyes refocus on the television.

She fell asleep before the movie ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains a mention of suicide (aka Elm's dad). If you would like to skip this, please don't read the section between the xXx's. It is very mild, and not at all graphic.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! This chapter gave me a hard time, as the dialogue was especially challenging. Hopefully, you enjoyed, though! Please leave a comment if you have any questions, comments or compliments! Your feedback is always encouraging!


	11. The Empty Child and the Doctor Dances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by the blaring of an alarm. The lights flashed red overhead.  
> "What's that?" Rose questioned over the noise.  
> The Doctor's face was grim. "Nothing good."

Alternate Title:  ~~ Can the Doctor dance? ~~ Are you my mummy?

"One two three, one two three."

In one of the many rooms of the TARDIS, Elm led Rose in a simple waltz. Soft, slow music filled the otherwise empty room.

"You're doing great, Rose," Elm said in a soft voice so as not to distract.

Rose's smile was toothy. "Thanks, I-" she lost her concentration and stepped right on Elm's boot covered foot. She frowned and looked down at her feet to correct them. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Elm replied. "It's part of the learning process. You could loosen up a bit, though. Remember, all you've got to do is stick to the beat and follow my lead."

"Right, right, yeah," Rose said with a nod. She was still looking down.

"Eyes on mine."

"Bugger."

"What're you two doing?"

The Doctor's voice destroyed the peace of the room. Rose immediately went to stop, though Elm pulled her to keep going.

"Ignore him, consider it a test," she advised before looking over Rose's shoulder at the man. "What's it look like we're doing, Doc?"

"Dancing."

"Great observation skills you've got there," Elm teased.

Rose giggled and stumbled over her feet.

He rolled his eyes. "Why're you dancing?"

"It just occurred to me," Rose began, finally getting her rhythm back, "that this is a time machine and someday we might end up at a ball. And then, I thought, 'What if I get asked to dance?'"

"So she asked me to teach her," Elm filled in. "You're doing a great job, by the way. I think the distraction is helping."

Rose's smile widened. "Thanks."

The Doctor's eyes zeroed in on Elm. "How do you know how to dance, then?"

"Theater," she replied with a smile. "The first production I was in had a dance scene so a couple of the other newbies and I had to learn. Speaking of, want to cut in Doc?"

"What? Why?" Rose whined. "I was just getting used to it."

"Dancing with different leads will help with your adaptability," Elm explained. "No one dances the same."

"As nice as that sounds, I think I'll have to decline," the Doctor said as he crossed his arms. "I don't dance."

Rose stopped in her tracks. "What, at all?"

"Don't tell me you don't know how," Elm exclaimed.

"Of course I know how," the Doctor replied with a scowl. "I'm just not one for the activity."

"What, never?" Elm pushed.

The Doctor opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by the blaring of an alarm. The lights flashed red overhead.

"What's that?" Rose questioned over the noise.

The Doctor's face was grim. "Nothing good."

OoOoOoO

The TARDIS shuddered as the Doctor flipped yet another switch on the console. Elm stumbled at the motion and gripped both a stumbling Rose and the railing to keep from falling.

"What's the emergency?" Rose asked, looking at the image the Doctor had pulled up on the monitor. It showed a cylindrical pod-looking thing racing through the vortex.

The Doctor didn't stop moving as he spoke. "Mauve."

"Mauve?" the girls asked at once. They exchanged a look.

"The universally recognized color for danger," the Doctor replied as if it were obvious. "Mauve."

Rose's brow lifted. "What happened to red?"

The Doctor laughed. "That's just humans. For everyone else, red's camp. All those red alerts, all that dancing," he laughed again before looking back toward the monitor. "The thing's got a basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the TARDIS. Where it goes, we go."

"And that's safe?" Rose questioned.

"Totally."

The TARDIS jerked so hard it sent everyone to the floor. Rose crashed into Elm who narrowly avoided hitting her head on the console as she fell. They got back up as quick as they could.

"Okay, reasonably," the Doctor corrected. "Should have said reasonably there." He checked the monitor again before jamming a few controls. "No, no no! It's jumping time tracks!"

"How's it doing that?" Elm exclaimed.

"No clue."

"Well, what is it?" Rose asked.

"No idea."

She let out a frustrated noise. "Then why are we chasing it?!"

The Doctor's face turned serious. "It's mauve, dangerous, and about thirty seconds from the center of London." He hit the materialization lever.

Elm glanced at Rose before following the Doctor in his rush out of the TARDIS, grabbing her coat from the rack as she went. Outside was London, obviously a few decades in her past. Night had already fallen and that, combined with the dreary weather, made for empty streets. Nearby both light and jazzy music streamed through an open door.

The three were quiet for a moment before Elm spoke up. "Why is it always Earth?"

"You lot are trouble magnets," the Doctor said in answer. Taking out his sonic, he scanned the area. "Whatever that thing was, it must've come down close to here. Within a mile at least. Couldn't have been more than a few weeks ago." He frowned. "Maybe a month."

"A month?" Rose exclaimed. "But we were right behind it!"

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place!" the Doctor defended. "We're bound to be a little bit out. Do you want to drive?"

Elm glanced back at the TARDIS. "Actually…"

"No."

"You offered!" Elm retorted. "Just one short lesson?"

"Absolutely not."

"A quick jump to the moon and back."

"No," the Doctor repeated. "No one drives the TARDIS besides me, and there will be no attempts, got it?"

She let out a disappointed sigh. "Spoilsport."

Rose looked between the two of them with a half smile before speaking. "What's the plan? You gonna scan for alien tech or something?"

"Rose, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang," the Doctor said slowly. "I'm going to ask." He took out his psychic paper and held it up. She went to grab it, but he moved it out of the way before she could. "Oi remember the last time you took this? Sticky fingers."

"Fine," Rose relented, leaning forward to read it. "Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids."

"Don't you ever get sick of using my name?" Elm questioned. "Why not change it up a bit. Be John Johnson, John Jones, I dunno, something other than John Smith."

"I've always been John Smith," he defended. "I'm not changing it now."

Rose grinned and shrugged at Elm. "Old dogs."

The Doctor scowled as Elm burst laughing. "C’mon, no more dawdling," he said, grabbing Elm's hand and pulling her toward the nearby door. "Don't fall behind Rose!"

The door led to a jazzy nightclub filled with  well-dressed people. Most of the patrons were seated at tables, though some were up slow dancing in front of the stage. On stage was a jazz band along with a woman, a singer, who's voice mixed with the music in a way that soothed the nerves.

"Oh, that's nice," Elm hummed, swinging the Doctor's arm to the music. She eyed the dancers contemplatively.

The Doctor looked at her from the corner of his eye. "What is it?"

Elm startled out of her daze. "What?"

"You've got a look," he explained with a vague wave of his free hand. "What're you thinking about?"

"I thought we were investigating."

The Doctor shrugged. "We've got time before the show ends."

She looked back toward the crowd. "Just a bit nostalgic, I guess. It's been a while since…"

When she didn't elaborate, the Doctor nudged her. "Since what?"

"Since I've danced," she explained. Her mind drifted as she spoke. "It sort of reminds me of someone. I guess he'd be an ex, but we parted amicably so it feels weird calling him that. Anyways, he's the one who taught me to dance." She sighed. "Moss Lewis, man, he was a great dancer."

The Doctor let out a short laugh. "Moss?"

Elm chuckled as well. "Terrible name, I know. He hated it. Had everyone call him Mo, which wasn't much better." Her chuckles tapered off and she resumed her longing stare at the dance floor.

There was a beat of music filled silence before the Doctor spoke.

"Tell you what, once we've got this sorted, I'll take you to a show," the Doctor promised. The band on stage was just finishing their act and bowing for the crowd. "Something small, like this."

"Will you dance then, Doc?"

He, already halfway to the stage, didn't respond. Elm didn't expect him to. She sat in one of the available chairs, curious to see how he'd go about getting information.

The Doctor fumbled with the mic for a moment before clearing his throat. "Excuse me." The patrons, oblivious to the new person, continued to chat among themselves. "Excuse me, could I have everybody's attention for just a mo? I'll be very quick." Finally, the room quieted, and all eyes focused on the Doctor. He straightened under the scrutiny. "Hello! Might seem like a stupid question, but has anything fallen from the sky recently?"

Elm expected skepticism. Perhaps mockery or confusion. What she didn't expect, was laughter.

What began as a few scattered chuckles spread to the whole room, and soon everybody was laughing.

She didn't get the joke and neither did the Doctor. He cleared his throat again. "Sorry, have I said something funny?" The laughter was starting up again. "There's this thing I need to find, and it would've fallen from the sky a couple of days ago." As he spoke, a loud siren started up. The sound was familiar to Elm, though she couldn't place where she'd heard it before. "Would've landed near here?" The Doctor tried keeping the audience's attention as they stood to leave, filing out through another door. "It must've made a very loud-" he was interrupted by a nearby explosion that shook the very foundation of the building. Elm jumped with a start and looked dubiously at the dust falling from the ceiling. The Doctor sighed. "Bang."

A man in uniform approached Elm and gestured toward the door everyone was streaming to. "Best hurry. Hitler doesn't dally."

Hitler. Explosions. London. Elm let out a sigh at their luck.

The Doctor, who was off the stage by then, grabbed her hand and began dragging her out of the building. Elm shouted back to the man as they left. "Sorry, in a bit of a rush. Be safe!"

"Of course things couldn't be easy," the Doctor muttered to himself as they exited the club and made their way back to the TARDIS. "Rose!"

Elm blinked and just then realized Rose hadn't been with them. She also wasn't waiting outside.

Worried for her friend, she ran up to the TARDIS, opened the door, and called inside. "Rosie?"

There wasn't a response. The Doctor sighed.

"You know, one day, just one day, I'm going to meet someone who gets the whole don't wander off thing."

"Hey!" Elm exclaimed. "I don't wander off!"

"No," the Doctor amended. "When I tell you to stay put, you follow after."

"Well, I don't want to miss anything, n-"

A phone rang. The bickering stopped. Elm and the Doctor made eye contact.

"Is that…"

"It is."

The phone rang again. Not just any phone, though. The TARDIS's phone.

The Doctor opened the panel to reveal said ringing device. "How can you be ringing?"

"Isn't that your phone?" Elm questioned. "I'm sure I'm not the only one in the universe with your number."

"No, but it's broke. A wire snapped the other day, and I haven't gotten around to fixing it," the Doctor explained, eyes still fixed on the device. "What's that about, ringing?"

He scanned it with his sonic and made to pick it up when a voice startled both of them.

"Don't. It's not for you."

Standing near the entrance of the alley was a young woman. Judging by her looks, she couldn't have been older than 16, though her eyes were harder than a teens should be.

The Doctor didn't move his hand but paused. "How do you know that?"

"Cos I do," she retorted. "And I'm telling you, don't answer it."

The phone rang again, drawing the time traveler's attention back to it. By the time they looked back at the girl, she was gone.

The Doctor picked up the phone. "Hello? This is the Doctor speaking," he paused before adding, "How can I help you?" Elm couldn't hear what was said, but the Doctor's smile dropped. "Who is this? Who's speaking?"

"What is it, Doc?" Elm questioned. He motioned for her to come closer and stooped slightly to share the phone.

The voice on the line made her heart skip a beat.

"Are you my mummy?"

It sounded like a young boy.

"How did you ring here?" the Doctor demanded.

"Mummy?" the voice dragged out the word in a sing-song fashion. "Mummy?"

"This phone shouldn't work, how-" the Doctor began, but stopped when the dial tone sounded. He put the phone back on the hook and stared at it for a long moment.

Something hit one of the garbage bins, and the sound echoed through the alley.

Heart racing and fear spiking, the noise was the last straw for Elm. She ran away, a reluctant Doctor dragged behind her.

He stopped her once they reached the safety of the street. "Oi! What's got you all worked up?"

"You're kidding me," Elm nearly screeched. "A creepy child's voice through a phone that shouldn't ring?"

"Elm-"

"A girl warning us that the call's not for us?!" she added.

The Doctor snapped his fingers. "That girl, she knows something." He glanced around, scanned the area with his sonic, and began dragging Elm toward a nearby neighborhood.

"Doc-"

"She probably went home to shelter, but can't have gotten far," he spoke over her. "Quit loitering."

Elm bit her lip and shifted to grab the Doctor's hand.  Its familiar warmth was enough to calm her fear.

For the time being.

OoOoOoO

"The planes are coming! Into the shelter and none of your nonsense. Move it!"

The voice of an angry woman made the time travelers slow to a stop. The Doctor climbed atop a nearby bin before offering a helping hand to Elm. Over a garden wall they peered and watched as a family shuffled into an air raid shelter.

"Arthur, will you hurry up!" the woman shouted.

A man came out of the house, carrying a plate of food with him. "Middle of dinner, every night. Blooming Germans!"

"The planes, Arthur, I can hear them!"

The man shook his fist at the sky. "Don't you eat?!"

"Oh, keep your voice down. It's an air raid, not like anyone can hear you. Get. In."

Continuing to grumble to himself, the man complied. The shelter's door closed behind him.

Moments after, a shadow appeared at the other end of the yard. It was the girl from before. She crawled under a hole in the fence and crept past the shelter before entering the house.

"Well," the Doctor said after a beat. "That's a puzzle." He climbed fully onto the wall and glanced down at Elm. "Coming?"

Elm scrambled to catch up as he jumped down to the ground below. They entered through the back door and hid in the living room as the girl made preparations. After setting more dishes on the food-laden table, she unlocked the door and let out a sharp whistle. It must've been a signal of some sort as children began filing into the home.

They came in groups of no more than three, their ages ranging from teens to toddlers. They were all obviously homeless, though had enough manners to stack their hats and coats by the door.

Elm watched as the original girl began serving them all food. "I thought all the children were evacuated? What are they still doing here?" she murmured.

"Only one way to find out," the Doctor replied in a hum. He stepped into the dining room and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the entire table. "Say, there enough for us?"

Immediately, the children panicked. Some made to stand. Others dove under the table. A few of the older ones looked like they were rearing to fight. The girl spoke before any of them did anything drastic. "It's all right. Back to your seats," she commanded. "They shouldn't be here either."

"Excuse me," Elm said before taking one of the empty seats. The Doctor took the other open chair across from her. "I'm Elm. He's the Doctor."

"And I'm Nancy," the girl responded curtly before continuing to pass around plates of meat. Elm and the Doctor were not left out of the feast.

"So," the Doctor began after taking a bite of food, "you lot. What's the story?"

"What do you mean?" one of the older boys questioned.

"You're homeless, right? Living rough?"

A younger girl leaned forward. "You a copper?"

"What's a copper got to do with you?" he scoffed. "Arrest you for starving?" The children found that hilarious. "I make it 1941, you lot should be in the country by now."

"I was evacuated," one boy volunteered. "Sent me to a farm."

"Then why are you here?" Elm questioned. "At least on a farm you've got a bed."

The child looked down. "There was a man there."

"Same with me," another child said. "Went to my mum, but she just sent me back to-" he shook his head. "'s better on the streets, anyway. Better food."

"Yeah!" one of the youngest boys agreed. "Nancy gets the best food for us."

The Doctor looked to Nancy with new eyes. "So, that's what you do. Soon as the sirens go, you find a big-fat family meal. Bingo! Feeding frenzy for the homeless kids of London. Puddings for all, so long as the bombs don't get you."

"Something wrong with that?" Nancy asked, a defiant look in her eye.

"It's brilliant!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Not sure if it's Marxism in action or a West End musical."

"Definitely a musical," Elm replied.

The group ate in quiet for a moment before Nancy finally snapped. "Why'd you follow me? What do you want?"

"I want," the Doctor began, "to know why a phone that shouldn't ring, rang. You seem to be the one to ask."

"I did you a favor. I told you not to-"

"I think we're off on the wrong foot," Elm cut in. "This isn't an interrogation, but we do need information. Firstly, on my friend. She went missing around where we first met Nancy. She's blonde and was wearing a Union Jack shirt. Anyone see her?"

The children shook their heads.

"Another thing we've been looking for," the Doctor said as he took a paper and pen out of his pocket. On it, he sketched the craft they had chased through the vortex. "Would've fallen from the sky about a month ago, but wouldn't have exploded."

As the paper was passed around the table, Elm noticed a few of the older children give Nancy curious looks. The girl herself looked disturbed.

Before any of them could speak, there was a knock on the door.

And then a voice.

"Mummy, are you in there?"

All the children gasped, and Elm felt goosebumps rise on her arms.

"Mummy?"

The Doctor got up from his chair and moved to the window. He gestured for Elm to do the same. A child no older than four was standing outside. He wore a gas mask.

"Are you there, mummy?"

"Who was the last one in?" Nancy demanded in a whisper. The children immediately pointed at the time travelers, but she shook her head. "They came round back, who came in the front?"

A younger child rose his hand. "Me."

"Did you close the door?"

The child looked away and shifted.

"Did you close the door?" Nancy repeated.

"Mummy?"

When the child didn't answer, Nancy jumped to her feet and ran to said door. Elm followed and watched as she slammed it shut and bolted it.

The door handle jiggled.

"Mummy? Mummy?"

"What's this, then?" the Doctor exclaimed. "It's not easy being the only child left out you know."

"It's not exactly a child."

"Mummy?"

Nancy returned to the dining room and clapped her hands together. "Right, everybody out. Cross the back garden and go under the fence." When no one moved, her voice rose to a shout. "Now! Go! Move!"

The table jumped to action. Children grabbed coats and stuffed food into their pockets before running out the back door in the groups they came in. Nancy helped one of the younger girls with her coat before shoving her in the direction of one of the older children.

"Mummy? Please let me in, mummy. Please let me in."

The Doctor pulled Elm near to the door, just in time to see a hand reach through the letterbox.

A plate shattered on the door, making the limb retract. Elm looked over her shoulder at Nancy, who was frantically shaking her head. "You mustn't let him touch you!"

"Why?" she questioned.

"Mummy."

"Yeah, what happens then?" the Doctor added.

"He'll make you like him," Nancy explained while shoving her own coat on.

The Doctor stared at her. "And what's he like?"

"I've got to go."

"Nancy," the Doctor snapped. "What's he like?"

Choking on a breath, she burst. "He's empty!" The phone rang, and she pointed at it. "It's him. He can make the phones ring, just like that police box."

The Doctor picked it up, but Nancy snatched it away and slammed it back on the hook.

"Mummy. Let me in mummy."

Elm started when a radio clicked on right next to her. The dial turned on its own before a familiar voice came through the speaker.

"Mummy, mummy, mummy."

Nancy shook her head and began backing up. "You stay if you want to."

Something clicked, and Elm jumped out of the way to avoid a hand stuck through the letterbox. The child was moving it around, trying to grab something.

"Mummy, let me in. Please let me in."

Elm glanced back toward Nancy, but she was already gone.

The Doctor leaned down to look through the mailslot. "Your mummy isn't here," he said softly. As he spoke, he reached out and grasped Elm's hand.

"Are you my mummy?"

He shook his head. "No mummies here. Nobody's here but us chickens."

"I'm scared."

"What happened to you?" Elm questioned.

"Please let me in, mummy. I'm scared of the bombs."

Elm squeezed her eyes shut and let out a sigh before looking toward the Doctor. She gave him a short nod.

"Okay," the Doctor began. "I'm opening the door now."

The boy retracted his hand and, with careful movements, the Doctor unbolted and opened the door.

There was no one there.

Elm sank to the floor and buried her hands in her hair. "Can't just leave it alone, can we?"

"Nope."

OoOoOoO

Finding Nancy again was a cinch with a bit of sleuthing and bribery (most of the children hadn't wandered far, and the Doctor had sweets). Her hideout was hard to spot if you weren't looking for it, but they caught up just in time to see her stashing some food away.

When she spotted them walking up to her, she straightened.

"How'd you follow me?"

"I'm good at following, me," the Doctor said with a grin. He tapped the side of his nose. "Got the nose for it."

She squinted him before smirking. "Do you have the ears for it too?"

Elm cackled, and the Doctor's grin dropped. "What're you trying to say?"

"Goodnight Mister, Miss," she said with an amused smile. She made to leave, but Elm stopped her in her tracks.

"Nancy," she called. "I know it's tough and really scary, but we're just trying to help."

"There's something chasing you and the other kids. Looks like a boy, but isn't," the Doctor said, voice low. "Started about a month ago, right? That's when the thing I'm looking for landed." When Nancy flinched, the Doctor narrowed his eyes. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Nancy looked away and let out a breath. She spoke softly and slowly. "There was a bomb. A bomb that wasn't a bomb. Fell at the other end of the Limehouse Green Station."

The Doctor nodded. "Take us there."

" There are soldiers guarding it," Nancy exclaimed, "and barbed wire. You'll never get through."

"Try me."

"You really want to know what's going on?" Nancy asked. She pursed her lips at the pointed silence that followed. "Fine. There's someone you need to talk to first."

Elm tilted her head. "Who?"

"The doctor."

"The doctor?" she questioned. "Doctor who?"

Nancy shrugged. "Don't remember his name. C’mon, I've got other things to do tonight."

OoOoOoO

Nancy seemed to know the Limehouse Green Station by heart as she led them to the other end of it it. The area was as described. Armed guards walked the perimeter, which was lined with a barbed wire fence. In the middle of it all was a big, tarp-covered object. 

"That's it," Nancy pointed at the tarp. "The fence went up overnight. That building," she pointed at the large building behind the guarded area. "That's the hospital. That's where the doctor is."

The Doctor used some futuristic binoculars to scope out the scene and let Elm give them a try when he was done. The hospital looked devoid of life.

"Thank you for taking us here Nancy," Elm said when she was done. 

Nancy shrugged. "Wasn't that far out of my way. Just make sure to talk to the doctor before you try getting at the bomb."

"Why?"

"Then maybe you won't want to see it," she replied. Turning around, she made to head back when the Doctor spoke up.

"Where're you going?"

"There was a lot of food in that house," Nancy said in explanation. "It should be safe enough now."

"Before you go, can I ask you a question?" the Doctor asked. "Who'd you lose?"

Nancy blinked and took a step back. "What?"

"The way you look after all those kids, you lost somebody, didn't you? You're doing all this to make up for it."

"Jamie," Nancy said after a second. "My little brother. One night I went out looking for food, the same night that thing fell. Told him not to follow me but he-he didn't like being on his own."

The Doctor gave her a long look before letting out a laugh. "Amazing."

Nancy glared at him. "What is?"

"Right now, not far, the German war machine is rolling across Europe. Country after country, falling like dominos. And yet, you lot, you damp little island, refused. A mouse in front of a lion." He shook his head. "Dunno what you do to Hitler, but you scare the hell out of me."

Nancy was taken aback and just stared at the odd man.

The Doctor laughed again. "Off you go, do what you've got to do. Save the world."

Without another word, he grabbed Elm's hand and began leading her toward the hospital. When she looked back, Nancy was gone.

OoOoOoO

Getting into the hospital was easy as the only thing guarding it was a padlock and some gates. The Doctor took care of those with his sonic, and the duo were soon making their way through the dark building. Elm stuck close.

As she saw through the binoculars, it was practically empty. No staff to greet them. No loitering family members waiting around. No one besides patients upon patients, all laying in bed. All wearing gas masks.

"Who do you suppose this doctor is," the Doctor questioned after they had peeked into yet another full ward.

Elm bit her lip. "I'm more wondering where the other doctors are. And the nurses."

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before opening yet another set of doors. "Only one way to find out."

They walked in together.

Like every other ward, this one was filled with patients. None stirred as they walked in.

"They're so still," Elm murmured. She took a step toward one.

"You'll find them everywhere. Every bed. Every ward. Hundreds of them."

The voice came from a man. A very old, very tired man in a doctor's coat. He was sat in a chair, a walking cane held in one hand.

"We saw," the Doctor replied. "Why're they wearing gas masks?"

"They're not. Who are you?"

"I'm-" the Doctor cut himself off. "Are you the doctor?"

"Nancy sent us," Elm added.

The man looked them over. "Doctor Constantine is my name. You must have been asking about the bomb."

"Yes."

Doctor Constantine sighed. "What do you know about it?"

"Nothing," the Doctor answered. "What do you know?"

"Only what it's done," he replied, gesturing around the room.

"All these people?" Elm exclaimed. "In this whole hospital? There's no way it-it wasn't even supposed to explode."

"It didn't," Doctor Constantine said with a chuckle. That chuckle soon turned into a harsh cough.

The Doctor scanned him with his sonic. "You're very sick."

"Dying, I should think." He coughed again. "Just haven't had the time to lie down and do it yet. Are you a doctor?"

"Of sorts."

Fascinated, Elm reached out to one of the patients. A sharp voice stopped her.

"Young lady, I would advise against touching them," Doctor Constantine scolded. He looked toward the Doctor. "Have you examined any of them yet?"

"No," he replied, looking around the room. "Which one?"

" Anyone ."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes but approached the patient Elm stood by. He scanned them with his sonic. "Massive head trauma, mostly to the left. Partial collapse of the chest cavity, mostly to the right. Scarring to the back of the hand and the gas mask seems to be fused to the flesh, but I can't see burns."

Doctor Constantine nodded. "Examine another one."

The Doctor did as he was told and straightened immediately. "That's not possible."

"Another."

He examined two more. "This isn't possible."

"What is it?" Elm questioned.

"They've all got the same injuries," the Doctor exclaimed. "Exactly the same." He looked at Constantine. "How did this happen? When?"

"When the bomb dropped, there was just one victim."

"Dead?"

Constantine let out another cough. "At first. Dreadful injuries. By morning every doctor and nurse who touched him had those exact same injuries. By the morning after that, every patient in the ward. Within a week, the entire hospital. Physical injuries as plague."

"What, and they all died?" Elm asked.

"That's the other thing," Doctor Constantine began. "They're not dead." He grabbed his cane and hit it against a nearby wastebasket.

All the patients sat up.

Elm started and made to run, but the Doctor put a hand on her shoulder before she could. Constantine chuckled.

"It's all right. They're harmless, just sort of sit there. No heartbeat, no life signs of any kind. They just don't die."

After a moment of silence, all the patients laid back down.

"And they've been left here?" the Doctor demanded. His face was flushed with fury. "Nobody's doing anything?"

Constantine hummed. "I try to make them comfortable. What else is there?"

"The bomb site is crawling with people, and you're the only one looking after the victims?" Elm questioned. "All day, every day, just you?"

Doctor Constantine's eyes hardened. "Before this war, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither, but I'm still a doctor."

"I know the feeling," the Doctor replied. There was a new respect in his eyes for the old man.

A ragged cough racked Constantine's frame. "I suspect the plan is to blow up the hospital and blame it on the Germans." His coughing grew worse as he continued, breaking up his words.

Elm took a step forward. "Are you-"

"Stay back!" he warned. "Listen to me and stay back. There have been isolated cases all over London. Top-" he took a ragged breath, "top floor. Room 802. Patient Zero's room. You-you must find Nancy."

"Nancy?" the Doctor questioned.

"What's she got to do with this?" Elm asked.

"It was her brother. She knows more than-than she's saying. She won't tell me but-mum-my?"

Elm's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Mummy," Doctor Constantine drew out the word and seemed to be struggling to breathe. "Are you my mummy?"

"Elm?" the Doctor began. "Get back from him."

"What?"

"Now, Elm," he snapped.

She did as he bid, but was still confused. "Doctor, what-?"

Constantine gagged and Elm watched in horror as the nose end of a gas mask grew from his mouth. His face warped and stretched, eyes turning to googles, skin turning to plastic until it was completely covered by the mask. He slumped in his chair.

Elm reached out and grabbed the Doctor's hand, gripping it tight. With his free hand, the Doctor scanned the old man.

"Same as the rest," he concluded. Without looking away from the man, he continued to speak. "Elm?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't touch them."

"Okay."

An unfamiliar voice startled the two. "Hello?" It was masculine. "Doctor Spock?"

"Elm?" another voice called. It was Rose.

The Doctor sighed. "I'll check it out. You stay here and if anything changes, shout."

"Alright," Elm agreed. She reluctantly released the Doctor and clenched her hands into fists. Her whole body was shaking.

Then, there was a hand on her shoulder. It was the Doctor. He had a soft look on his face. "We're going to sort this out."

All she could do was nod.

OoOoOoO

Instead of the Doctor or Rose, and unfamiliar man stepped into the room. He was conventionally attractive, with a square jaw, styled black hair and baby blue eyes. His smile was charming, and his voice light as he introduced himself.

"Captain Jack Harkness, and you must be Elm."

Elm attempted a smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Doesn't seem nice," Captain Jack responded. He glanced around the room. "What's going on here?"

"Not sure yet," the Doctor said as he entered the room with Rose in tow.

Rose.

Elm immediately raced to and embraced her friend. "Where'd you go? I was worried."

"I got swept up by a barrage balloon. Captain Jack saved me."

Separating from her friend, Elm looked her over for injury but found none. She looked to Jack with a smile. "Thank you."

"For helping her?" Jack gestured to Rose with a smirk. "My pleasure."

"Sorry for interrupting, trying to save the world," the Doctor cut in. "What kind of Chula ship landed here?"

"What?" Jack and Elm questioned at the same time.

"A warship, he said," Rose replied. "He stole it and put it somewhere out there. Said a bomb's gonna fall on it unless we make an offer."

The Doctor glared at Jack, who was scanning the patients with a device on his wrist. "What kind of warship?"

"Doesn't matter," he replied, near shouting. "It's got nothing to do with this."

"This," the Doctor exclaimed as he gestured around the room. "Started at the bomb site. It's got everything to do with it. Now, what kind of warship-"

"An ambulance!" Jack shouted.

"An ambulance?" Elm questioned.

"Look," he pressed a button on his wrist device. From it came a holographic image of the craft. "That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. I wanted to kid you it was valuable, but it's space junk. Empty. I saw you and threw the bait."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "Bait?"

Jack ignored her. "I wanted to sell it to you and destroy it before you found me out."

"You said it was a warship!" Rose exclaimed.

"Ambulances are in wars."

Elm tilted her head to the side. "You were trying to con us."

"Yeah, I'm a conman. Thought you were Time Agents," he looked at Rose. "You're not though, are you?"

Rose shifted. "Just a couple more freelancers, us."

"Oh," Jack groaned and rolled his eyes. "Should've known."

Ignoring the bickering, Elm looked at the Doctor. "This has to be related to that child."

"And Nancy," the Doctor added. "What I don't understand is the point. Human DNA is being rewritten, but why?"

"Mummy."

All the patients in the ward sat up.

"Mummy. Mummy."

Elm and Rose shifted closer to the Doctor. Jack was quick to do the same.

"What's happening?" Rose questioned.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know."

"Mummy."

The patients were beginning to stand. The four time travelers attempted to edge toward the door.

"Don't let them touch you," the Doctor warned.

"It spreads through touch," Elm explained.

"Help me, mummy."

Before they could reach the door, the patients had them surrounded and up against the wall. Elm grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her back.

"Now would be a good time for something clever, Doc," Elm said, voice high and panicked.

The Doctor looked around the room, eyes wide. He then straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. "Go to your room."

Jack scoffed. "That's your solution?"

Ignoring Jack, the Doctor continued speaking in a stern voice. "Go to your room. I mean it. I'm very, very cross with you. Go to your room! Now!"

The patients, at this point, were stopped in their tracks. Then, one by one, they hung their heads and moved back to their beds. It was only when they were all still that Elm allowed herself to breathe.

"It worked?" Rose questioned.

"Oi, be glad it did," the Doctor retorted. "Those would have been terrible last words."

"Who would've known, we'd all be dead," Elm replied with a shrug.

Rose glanced around the room. "Why're they all wearing gas masks?"

Elm shivered. "They're not."

"Those masks are flesh and bone," Jack explained as he scanned them with his device. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Enlighten me then," the Doctor said with a scolding look. "What was supposed to happen?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "I toss a bit of harmless space junk in front of some time agents. They chase it through the vortex to me. I convince them it's valuable and have them pay half up front. A German bomb destroys it, oh no. I buy the agent drinks and we discuss luck. A perfect, self-cleaning con where I get the money and the agency doesn't even know they've been had."

"Yeah," the Doctor scoffed. "Perfect."

"I've done this dozens of times. The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners. Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation out of it. Gotta watch the clock for volcano day though," Jack let out a laugh. He stopped laughing when he saw the Doctor's glare. "Sensing some disapproval."

"Take a look around the room. This is what your harmless space junk did."

"It was a burnt out medical transporter," Jack said slowly. "Empty."

The Doctor opened his mouth to snap something back, but Elm spoke up before he could. "Doctor Constantine said patient zero had a room here. What was the number again, Doc?"

It was an obvious distraction, but the Doctor didn't argue with it. "802, top floor."

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living," Jack insisted. "I don't know what's happening here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it."

"I'll tell you what's happening," the Doctor began, getting into Jack's face. "It's volcano day. Now, if you want to help, follow us. If not, bugger off."

He didn't linger, instead taking off into the hall and toward the staircase.

Rose immediately turned to Jack and jabbed a finger into his chest. "You lied to me."

"You lied to me," Jack retorted.

Narrowing her eyes, Rose gave him a once over and bit her lip. "You're lucky you're cute. Now come on, I don't wanna miss anything else." She and Elm left the room and headed for the staircase. Jack trailed behind. "What's patient zero?"

"The person who contracted the disease first," Elm explained. She went on to describe their meeting with Nancy, the homeless children, and the child looking for his mother. "Doctor Constantine said patient zero was Nancy's brother."

Rose sighed. "Poor boy."

"It couldn't have been that junk," Jack tried to convince them. "I told you. I made sure that-"

"Doesn't matter what you did," Elm cut him off. "We just need to figure out what's going on and stop it. If you're going to help us, you can start by at least trying to get along with the Doctor."

"Why do you keep calling him that? Doctor?" Jack questioned.

Elm glanced at him, confused. "'cause that's his name?" 

"Oh, yeah, lied about that bit too," Rose chuckled nervously. "Sorry."

"Have you got a blaster?"

The sudden voice of the Doctor startled the trio as they rounded the corner on the eighth floor. He was standing in front of a large, locked metal door.

"Sure!" Jack responded in a chippy voice. He took it out with flare, earning an appreciative look from Rose. "Want me to get the door open?"

The Doctor gestured for him to go ahead before turning to Rose. "This is where the first person was taken."

"Elm caught us up," she responded before glancing at the door. "What's wrong with your sonic?"

"Nothing."

Elm watched in fascination as Jack's gun vaporized the lock, leaving a neat square of space where it used to be. The door swung open with a creak.

"I expected a lot more bang," Elm commented. "That was very neat."

"Sonic blaster, 51st century," the Doctor explained. "Trust me, the first models had a lot more bang," he looked to Jack. "Weapon factories of Villengard?"

Jack grinned and showed it off. "You've been to the factories?"

"Once."

He shrugged and put his blaster away. "Well, they're gone now. Destroyed. The main reactor went critical and vaporized the lot."

The Doctor smirked. "Like I said. Once." He opened the door wider for Elm and Rose to step through. "There's a banana grove there now. I like bananas. Bananas are good."

Elm made a face. "But they're so mushy."

"Gentle on the teeth," the Doctor retorted.

"Apples are much better. Got a nice crunch," she went on. "My family owns a small apple grove. They were great for climbing when I was a kid. Plus, you know the saying; An apple a day keeps the…'" she paused.

"Please, go on," the Doctor goaded.

Elm shuffled into the room without response.

The room was, in a word, a mess. Filing cabinets and hospital equipment were torn up and strewn around. Glass from the shattered observation window crunched under Elm's shoes as she walked farther in. The room the patient stayed in was tiny, consisting only of a chair, a desk, and a bed. The door that led to it hung by only one hinge. A stuffed bear sat slumped over on the ground, alongside-

"Children's drawings," Elm murmured. Stepping into the space, she picked one up. It portrayed a woman. In fact, all of the drawings portrayed a woman, each drawn a different way. "He doesn't know what she looks like."

"Do you know where you are?" It was Doctor Constantine's voice. Elm jumped and noticed the Doctor had turned on a recorded tape.

"Are you my mummy?"

She shivered. "That voice."

The Doctor hummed.

"Are you aware of what's around you? Can you see?"

"Are you my mummy?"

"What do you want? Do you-"

"I want my mummy," the child interrupted. "Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Mummy? Mummy?"

"It's always 'Are you my mummy'," Rose said softly. "Like he doesn't know. Why doesn't he know?"

"Are you there, mummy? Mummy?"

The Doctor began pacing.

"Doctor?" Rose questioned.

"Can't you sense it?"

"This thing had to have been powerful. Angry," Jack tried.

The Doctor shook his head. "Yes, but there's more to it. Coming out of the walls. Can you feel it?"

"Mummy?"

"Feel what, Doctor?" Rose asked.

Meanwhile, Elm looked back to the pictures that covered the walls. A heavy weight settled in her chest.

"Funny little human brains," the Doctor let out a sarcastic laugh. "How do you get around in those things?"

Rose sighed. "When he's stressed, he likes to insult species."

Elm closed her eyes tight. "He's scared."

"I am no-" the Doctor began.

"Not you," she interrupted. "The boy. Remember, he was scared of the bombs. If this child was Nancy's brother, he didn't like being alone, either. He's tiny, with explosions happening around him and no idea who or where his mum is. Of course he's terrified. And for kids, scared is one step away from angry."

The Doctor nodded along with what she was saying and picked up when she was done. "There are children living rough around bomb sites. They come out during air raids looking for food."

"Mummy, please?"

"Suppose they were there when this thing landed?"

Jack cut in. "It was harmless-"

"Yeah, you keep saying that. Harmless. Suppose it wasn't and one of those kids, one of those lost and scared kids, was affected. Altered."

"Altered how?"

"I'm here, mummy!"

"It's afraid. Terribly afraid and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will. And I-" he barked out a laugh. "I just sent it to  its room."

"I'm here. Can't you see me?"

"Doctor?" Rose began, fear creeping into her voice. "Doctor, what's that clicking?"

Elm heard it then, a clicking sound that had become background noise.

The Doctor laughed again. "End of tape. It ran out about thirty seconds ago."

"I'm here, now. Can't you see me?"

"I sent it to  its room," the Doctor repeated as he turned around. "This is its room."

Elm spun around and in the center of the tiny, sad room, stood the child.

"Mummy?"

Jack's hand went to his side. "Okay, on my signal, make for the door."

"Don't shoot him!" Elm exclaimed.

Ignoring the distraught woman, Jack shouted, "Now!" and pulled a banana from his holster.

The Doctor, meanwhile, had Jack's blaster in hand and shot a square hole in the wall. "Go, go!" he urged, fleeing himself. Once they were all safe in the hallway, he turned to Jack. "Don't drop that!"

"Why not?" Jack shouted, tucking the banana into his pocket.

The Doctor smirked. "Good source of potassium."

Jack scoffed and snatched his blaster back. "Give me that," he pointed it at the hole and, suddenly, the wall was back to normal.

"How…" Elm glanced at Jack's blaster.

"Digital rewind," he explained before looking at the Doctor. "Nice switch."

The Doctor shrugged. "It's from the groves of Villengard. Thought it was appropriate."

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard. And you did that?"

"Bananas are good."

A sudden bang came from where the hole once was, and the wall began to crack.

Rose squeaked. "Doctor!"

Elm looked down the halls for an escape but found patients coming at them from both directions.

"Mummy," the patients chanted. "Mummy. Mummy."

"It's keeping us here till it can get at us," the Doctor said as the wall continued to crack.

Jack's eyes kept looking all over the place. "It's controlling them?"

"It is them," the Doctor explained. "It's every living thing in this hospital."

"And it wants to make us like it too," Elm said. "Just like Nancy told us."

The wall cracked further.

"Okay," Jack held up his blaster. "This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon and as a triple-enfolded sonic disruptor." He looked to the Doctor. "Doc, what you got?"

"I've got a sonic, er…" he glanced away. "Never mind."

"What?"

The wall began to crumble.

"It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that."

"Disruptor? Canon? What?"

Elm sighed. "Doc, just tell him."

"Men," Rose muttered.

"It's sonic. Totally sonic," the Doctor insisted.

"Sonic what?"

The wall broke down completely as the Doctor finally admitted. "Screwdriver!"

"What?"

Rose grabbed the blaster and pointed it at the floor. "Going down!"

And suddenly they were falling. It wasn't that far of a drop, but Elm wasn't prepared for it. She hit the ground feet first, landing on her ankle wrong, before falling to her hands and knees. On the way down her hand scraped against something, cutting it enough to bleed.

"Everyone alright?" Rose questioned as Jack sealed the hole in the ceiling. There was hardly any light in this new room, the only source being the windows.

"In one piece," Elm spoke up with a wince.

The Doctor's irritated voice came from her left. "Could've used a warning."

"Oh, the gratitude."

Jack was already on his feet and offered a hand to help Elm up. She accepted it and kept hold of his forearm as he turned to the Doctor. "Who has a sonic screwdriver?"

"I do," the Doctor snarked.

"Lights," Rose muttered, walking to the wall and feeling around. "There's got to be a  light switch ."

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, this could be a little more sonic?"

"You've never been bored?" the Doctor questioned. "Never had a long night and a lot of cabinets to put up?"

Elm laughed. "You, putting up cabinets."

He gave her a quick once over before asking, "What's so funny about that?"

"Domestics," Elm replied.

The Doctor grimaced, an expressed Elm saw as the lights flickered on overhead.

They were stood in the center of a ward full of patients. Patients who were getting out of bed.

"Mummy?"

"You on your feet yet?" Jack questioned, eyes on the approaching individuals.

"Yeah," she replied. "Might be a bit slow, but I'll manage."

"Over here!" Rose called. She was across the room next to a door. "It's locked."

Jack moved to help Elm, but the Doctor beat him to it. With a swift movement, he got his arm around her waist and dragged her to Rose. She appreciated his help, as her ankle still hurt.

"Well?" Rose asked, gesturing to the door.

Pointing his blaster at the lock, Jack pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

"Damn!" he hit the side of it. "It's the special features. They drain the battery."

The patients were closing in. "Mummy. Mummy."

Rose squinted at him. "Battery? That's so lame!"

"Doc," Elm elbowed the man, who was stood next to her. "Now's a good time for a screwdriver!"

It took him a moment to realize what she was saying, as if the thought hadn't occurred to him. "Right," he said. He took out his sonic and opened the door. They all rushed in, ready to run, only to find themselves in a storeroom. It had a radio, some chairs, and other odds and ends. The Doctor locked the door behind them.

"At least the Doctor's sonic doesn't run out of battery!" Rose exclaimed.

"I was going to send for a new one," Jack defended. He shot the Doctor a glare. "But someone had to go and blow up the factory."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh, I know the feeling. The first day I met him, he blew my job up."

"What now?" Elm questioned, glancing around the room.

"The door will hold for a bit," the Doctor replied.

"The door? The wall didn't stop it!" Jack exclaimed.

"Well, it's got to find us first. We've got time," the Doctor replied. "C’mon, we're not done yet. Assets!"

"I've got a banana and, in a pinch, you could put up some shelves."

Elm shuffled to the window and peered outside. "Window's barred, and we're on the seventh floor, so that's a bust."

Rose looked up. "Doubt we could fit through the vents."

A moment of silence passed.

"The assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?" Jack snarked.

They all exchanged glances as the situation set in. They were trapped.

"So," the Doctor spoke up. "Where'd you pick this one," he gestured to Rose, "up?"

Rose sighed. "Doctor."

Jack grinned. "She was hanging from a barrage balloon. I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a chance." His eyes widened minutely, and he began messing with the device on his wrist.

"Okay," the Doctor said as he began to pace. "One, we've gotta get out of here. Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?"

Elm and Rose watched as Jack disappeared. They exchanged a look.

Rose was the one who spoke up. "Yeah, Jack's gone."

"Teleport, you think?" Elm questioned. "He was messing with that thing on his wrist."

"Probably," Rose huffed. "Why is it always the great looking ones who do that?"

"I'm making an effort not to be insulted," the Doctor grumbled.

"I mean, men."

"Thanks, that really helped."

The radio crackled to life, startling them out of their conversation.

"Rose? Doctor? Elm? Can you hear me?" It was Jack.

"Loud and clear," Elm replied, leaning closer to the radio. "Where'd you go?"

"Back to my ship. Sorry I couldn't take you. It's security-keyed to my molecular structure."

Rose stared at the radio intently. "Are you able to do that to us?"

"I'm working on it, hang in there."

"How are you speaking to us?" the Doctor questioned, using his sonic to scan the radio. "This is a period typical device. You shouldn't be able to connect to it."

"Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grill."

Elm's eyes widened and looked to the Doctor. "Doc, that's just like the child."

"I know. What a coincidence."

"Wait, the child can do this too?" Rose asked incredulously.

The radio crackled. "And I can hear you," a voice very much not Jack's said. "Coming to find you."

"Doctor, are you hearing this?" Jack asked, voice overtaking the  child .

"Coming to find you, mummy."

"Unfortunately," the Doctor replied.

"I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do."

"Mummy. Mummy. Coming to find you!"

"Remember this one, Rose?" Jack questioned. A song began playing through the radio, completely blocking out the child's voice. It was Moonlight Serenade.

Rose hummed and sat in one of the chairs. "Our song."

"Your song?" Elm asked. "What exactly were you two doing all that time alone?"

"It was very romantic," Rose said with a sigh. "He had champagne and after a glass we danced in front of Big Ben. On top of his spaceship! It was wonderful, even with the air raid."

Elm smiled at the happy expression on Rose's face. "Glad to hear you put my dancing lessons to good use."

While they spoke, the Doctor approached the window and began scanning it with his sonic.

"Once he comes back, you should ask him for a dance," Rose replied. The Doctor snorted at her words and she leveled a glare at him. "What? What're you even doing, Doctor?"

"Trying to set a resonation pattern in the concrete, loosen the bars."

"You don't think he's coming back, do you?" Rose accused.

"Wouldn't bet my life."

"Give him some credit, Doc," Elm spoke up. "The song's still playing, so he can't be gone."

Rose continued to glare at him. "Why don't you trust him?"

"Why do you?"

"He saved my life," she countered. "Bloke wise, that's up there with flossing."

"I don't know whether to be insulted or flattered," Jack responded. Except he wasn't speaking through the radio. He was sitting in a big plush seat in his ship, a ship they had been teleported to in the midst of an argument. The sudden shift in environment had them confused for a moment.

That confusion was soon replaced by awe when Elm's hand and ankle began tingling. A yellow glow had overtaken all the hurts on her body and within a minute she was pain-free. "Wow." She brought her hand to her face. Her cut was healed. "Double wow. What was that?"

The Doctor had his sonic out in an instant and was scanning her. "Yeah, what was that?"

"That'll be Captain Jack's nanobots," Rose said with a cheeky grin. She sat down on a small bed. "I had rope burn earlier and he fixed me right up. You feeling better now, Elm?"

Elm rolled her ankle and bounced on her toes. "Much."

"Nanobots?" the Doctor questioned. His eyes widened. "Nanogenes! This is a Chula ship!"

"Yeah, just like the medical transporter," Jack replied. "Only this one is actually dangerous."

Elm looked between the two. "What are nanogenes?"

"Sub-atomic robots.  There are millions of them in here, the standard for a Chula ship. They activate when the bulk head's sealed, check you for damage and fix any physical flaws." He turned to Jack. "Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk."

Jack nodded. "As soon as I get the nav-com back online. Make yourselves comfortable."

Rose laid back on the bed with a sigh, eyes closed. The Doctor began pacing in the corner, most likely brooding about whatever epiphany he had. With her friends occupied, Elm decided to poke around.

She approached Jack and looked over the dash. It was covered in buttons. "Is that the steering?" she questioned, pointing at a sort of wheel right in front of him.

"Yep," he replied, leaning back in his seat. "Its got thrusters on all sides, so I can steer that way too."

"Cool," she said with a grin. "How's it powered?"

"Molten energy core, somewhere around there," he pointed downward. "The Chula make some of the best ships in the system. I've only got to refuel about once a year."

Elm nodded long with wide eyes. "How'd you travel in time, though? Do the Chula have time travel technology or is that sort of thing just standard in your time?"

Jack let out a laugh. "Aren't you full of questions? Why don't you sit down here," he patted the armrest of his seat, "and I'll tell you all about it."

"He's an ex-time agent," the Doctor interrupted. "I'd guess he stole some of their technology when he left."

Rose sat up on the bed. "That reminds me, why's an ex-time agent trying to con time agents?"

Jack pressed a button to turn his seat around, and Elm leaned herself against one of the walls.

"If it makes me sound any better, it's not for the money."

Rose quirked a brow. "For what, then?"

"Woke up one day, when I was still working for them," Jack began, eyes distant. "Two years of memories, of my life, gone. I'd like them back."

"They stole your memories?"

"No idea what I did in that time," he responded. "The Doc doesn't trust me. For all I know, he's right not to." He took a breath. His ship beeped. He grinned. "And we're a go." He turned his seat around. "Crash site?"

OoOoOoO

With Jack's teleport, getting back to the Limehouse Green Station was easy. Getting into the bomb site, however, was a different story. The front gate was guarded by a number of soldiers, all with guns. The time travelers hid in the shadows of the railroad station while coming up with a plan.

"Hey, they've got Algy on duty!" Jack whispered. "It must be important."

"Jack, you know him?" Elm questioned. "Maybe you could distract him."

Rose looked affronted. "Oi wouldn't that be my job?"

"Elm's right, I should probably be the one to distract him," Jack said. He straightened and unbuttoned his coat so that it was open. "I've spent a lot of time with him while here. You're not his type."

Elm stared at Jack for a long moment before letting out a quiet laugh. "That's not exactly what I was implying, but that works too."

Jack winked and made for the man. Rose watched intently, so intently that she started when the Doctor put a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax, he's a 51st-century guy. He's just a bit more… flexible."

Rose didn't turn her stare away. "How flexible?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, by that time, you lot have spread out across half the galaxy."

"Meaning?"

"So many species, so little time."

Before Rose could make a reply, the man Jack was talking to collapsed. This attracted the attention of nearby guards, who raced to the scene. The time travelers disregarded them.

"Stay back!" the Doctor shouted. The man's face was transforming before their eyes.

Jack shooed the guards away as well. "You men stay back!"

The Doctor scanned the man with his sonic. "The effect is airborne."

As he spoke, the air raid siren started up again.

"It's only been around for what, a month? A little less? That's an extremely quick acceleration," Elm pointed out.

"Wait, so if it's in the air, what's keeping us safe?" Rose questioned.

"Nothing."

Rose winced. "And didn't you say a bomb was going to land here?"

Jack nodded. "Tonight."

While they spoke, the Doctor took out his psychic paper and said something to the nearby guards. They backed away. "That's the least of our worries if the contaminants airborne now."

"What do you mean, Doc?" Elm questioned.

"If we can't fix this then that," he pointed at the transformed man, "is the future of the human race. Does anyone else hear singing?"

They all listened for a moment and, in a nearby tent, someone was singing a lullaby. The Doctor led them there, and Elm was surprised to see Nancy. The girl was handcuffed to a table, singing a transformed guard to sleep. The Doctor used his sonic to free her before leading her out into the open.

"You alright?" Elm questioned.

Nancy looked shaken. "As I can be." She looked at the Doctor. "You got in."

"Told you we could," the Doctor retorted. "Now, let's take a look at that space junk."

The bomb itself was unguarded and exactly as they had seen it earlier; covered in a tarp and buried in the ground. The emptiness of the area did nothing for Elm's nerves. She helped Jack and the Doctor uncover it. Despite the fact that she knew what it looked like, Elm was a little underwhelmed.

"See," Jack gestured to the object. "Just an ambulance."

Nancy looked at them like they were crazy. "That's an ambulance?"

"Space ambulance," Elm replied.

Rose put an arm around Nancy. "It's a bit hard to explain, but it's from another world."

Jack traced a hand over some of the dents marring its surface. "They've been trying to get in."

"Of course they have. They think it's Hitler's latest secret weapon," the Doctor pointed out. As he spoke, Jack opened a panel to reveal a keypad. He began typing on it. "What're you doing?"

"Showing you that-" before Jack could finish, the access panel sparked and an alarm started up. He jumped back. "That didn't happen last time."

"It hadn't crashed last time," the Doctor replied. "There'll be emergency protocols."

A loud crash drew their attention up the hill. The doors to the hospital had burst open, releasing all of its patients. There were at least a hundred of them, if not more, and they were heading straight for the bomb site.

"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed.

"Captain, Elm, secure the gate!" the Doctor shouted.

Elm nodded, ready to go.

"Why?" Jack questioned.

"Just do it!" he commanded.

"Come on," Elm said as she grabbed Jack and dragged him to the gate. "We've got to make sure the patients can't get to us."

"If they can break through a wall, they can break through the gates."

"It'll stall them, at least," Elm retorted as she grabbed one side of the gate to slide it in place.

Jack looked from her to the patients before nodding and grabbing the other side. They slid the gate together, and Jack snapped the big metal lock that was dangling from it in place.

"I hope the Doc has a plan," he commented as he began dragging a crate in front of the gate to block it. Elm helped.

"He usually does."

"You trust him," Jack observed.

Elm glanced at the alien man. He was doing something to the ambulance. "We've been through things together. Life-threatening, world ending things like this. He saves us, Rose and I save him."

"Must be nice, having people like that," Jack said. His voice was quiet. "Even when I was in the Time Agency my team-" he paused. "Let's just say we weren't the closest of friends."

Elm nodded and gave him a sly smile. "He doesn't hate you, you know."

Jack blinked. "What?"

"You two have been bickering, but it's been mostly friendly. Plus, he hasn't told you to leave yet," Elm explained. "And even if he did hate you, Rose likes you, and I'm starting to see why. He's a bit of a pushover, you see."

For a moment, Jack was quiet. They were finished securing the gates and were just standing there, in the moonlight. "What are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything," Elm replied. "I'm saying that if you're tired of being a conman, or want to take a break, well," she grinned. "Our ship is bigger than it looks."

"You two done chatting yet?" the Doctor shouted to them. "Get over here!"

Elm laughed. "Let's go, then."

Jack didn't respond, allowing her to lead him back to the ship.

"Nice you could finally join me," the Doctor said sarcastically. "I've disabled the alarms. Try entering the code again."

Jack looked from the Doctor to Elm before doing just that. The hatch on the ambulance snapped open, revealing an empty shell.

"It's empty," Jack said, letting out a breath.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter? Bandages? Cough drops?" While he spoke, Rose and Nancy rejoined them. He turned to them. "Rose? What do you think?"

She looked at him blankly. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do. Elm," he glanced her way a moment and held up a hand. "Should know too."

Rose grinned. "Nanogenes!"

The Doctor clicked his fingers and looked to Jack. "It wasn't empty, Captain. There were enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species."

The realization hit Jack like a brick, and he staggered. "Oh, God."

"Getting it now, are we?"

"What is Doc?" Elm questioned. "I thought nanogenes are supposed to heal things."

"Picture this; the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them. And they're ready, primed for war. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night, wearing a gas mask."

"Are you saying that the child, they…" Elm trailed off, looking toward the patients.

"They brought him back to life?" Rose finished for her.

The Doctor shrugged. "What's life? Life's easy. Nothing to a nanogene. One problem, though. These nanogenes, they've never seen a human before. Dunno what they're supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry on. Do their best. Then they fly off, work to be done. Because now, now they think they know what people should look like. And they won't stop. Not in London. Not in Europe. The entire human race is going to be torn down and rebuilt in the image of a terrified child."

"I-" Jack stuttered. "I didn't know."

The Doctor shook his head and began working on the ambulance again. "Maybe there's something here, but I don't know. I don't see any way out of this short of a miracle."

The patients were gathering around the fence, surrounding them.

"Mummy. Mummy."

Rose looked from them to the ambulance. "It's bringing the gas mask people here, isn't it?"

The Doctor nodded. "The ship thinks it's under attack, so it's calling the troops. This is a battle ambulance, Rose. The nanogenes don't just fix you up, they get you ready for the front line."

"Why don't they attack?" Jack questioned.

"They're waiting for their commander."

"The child?"

"Jamie," Nancy snapped. "Not the child. His name's Jamie."

A bomb dropped nearby, shaking the ground. Rose looked up. "How long 'til the bomb falls?"

"Soon," Jack replied.

"What's the matter, Captain?" the Doctor asked. "Bit close to the volcano for you?"

Another bomb fell close by, and Jack looked around. "Doctor, we've got minutes."

"You can teleport us out," Rose suggested.

"Not you guys," Jack replied, messing with his watch. "It'll take too long to program."

The Doctor shrugged. "It's volcano day. Do what you've got to do."

"Jack," Rose said, staring the man down.

The conman looked from Rose to Elm. He disappeared.

"This is all my fault," Nancy murmured.

"No," the Doctor denied.

"It is," Nancy insisted, getting choked up. "It's all my fault. He's just a little boy who wants his mummy."

"How-" the Doctor began, but the chanting of the patients cut him off. Nancy sniffled.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy."

"Nancy how old are you?" the Doctor questioned, looking from her to the patients. "Twenty? Twenty-one? Older than you look." Nancy avoided eye contact. "And how about five years ago? Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth, anyway. Jamie, he's not your brother, is he? A teenaged, single mother in 1941. Of course you lied. Even to him. Never can be too safe."

The child pushed open the gate, single-handedly breaking the lock and shoving the crates away. He was approaching them, with the patients following. "Are you my mummy?"

The Doctor looked from him to Nancy. "He's going to keep asking. He's never going to stop."

Jamie approached them, head tilted to the side. "Mummy?"

"Trust me, Nancy, and tell him."

Nancy took a stabilizing breath.

"Are you my mummy?"

"Yes," she choked out. Tears ran down her face. "Yes, I am your mummy."

"Mummy?"

"I'm here."

"Are you my mummy?"

"Yes, Jamie. It's me. I'm here."

"Mummy?"

Nancy looked to the Doctor.

"There's not enough of him left," he murmured. "He doesn't understand."

Nearly sobbing at this point, Nancy fell to her knees and grabbed her child in a hug. "I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I am so, so sorry Jamie."

Elm grabbed Rose's hand on reflex as more bombs dropped nearby.

Nanogenes filled the air with warm light, surrounding Nancy and Jamie.

Rose gasped. "What's happening? Doctor, what-"

The Doctor hushed her. "Come on, please. You clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother! She's the mother. It's got to be enough."

"What's happening?" Rose questioned.

"It recognizes the same DNA," the Doctor said in awe. The nanogenes dispersed, allowing the Doctor access. He reached for the gas mask covering Jamie's face. "Come on. Give me a day like this. Just one."

The mask came off.

Sweeping the little boy into his arms, the Doctor laughed. "Welcome back!"

"Wait, so since Nancy's his mother, they recognized they made a mistake?" Elm asked with a wide grin. "That's brilliant."

"Mother knows best!" the Doctor declared as he handed Jamie to Nancy. The young woman hugged her son close.

"Doctor, the bomb," Rose reminded.

The Doctor shrugged. "Taken care of."

"How?"

"Psychology."

Rose looked up and gaped. "Jack?!"

Elm looked as well and laughed out loud when she saw Jack. He was sat astride the bomb, mid-air in a tractor beam.

"Doctor!" he called down.

"Good lad!"

"The bomb's already commenced detonation. It's in stasis, but it won't last long."

"Change of plan!" the Doctor called back. "Don't need it. Can you get rid of it, safe as you can?"

Jack didn't say anything for a long moment. Then, he spoke. "Elm?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Thank you for the offer. Earlier. And Rose?"

"Yeah?" 

"Goodbye."

Jack, along with the bomb and his ship, vanished. The Doctor, meanwhile, was messing with the nanogenes.

"What're you doing?" Elm questioned.

"Software patch. Gotta email the upgrade," he explained. He flicked his wrist, and off the nanogenes went, surrounding and fixing all the patients.

She looked from him to the patients. "So everyone's okay?"

"Everyone lives," he declared, grin so wide his face was overtaken by it. "Just this once, everybody lives!"

Among the first fixed was a familiar man, walking without need of a cane.

"Doctor Constantine!" Elm called.

The Doctor greeted the man with a handshake. "The doctor who never left his patients. The world doesn't want to get by without you just yet, and I don't blame it. Look around, these are your patients, all better now."

Constantine nodded. "So it seems. They also seem to be standing around in a disused railway station. Is there any particular reason for that?"

"Well, you know, cutbacks," the Doctor replied with a wave of his hand. "Listen, whatever was wrong with them in the past, you're probably going to find they're cured. Just tell them what a great doctor you are. Don't make a big thing, okay?"

Doctor Constantine looked as if he wanted to argue, but was distracted by one of his patients approaching him. He sent the time travelers a cordial nod before walking off.

"Right, right, all tied up neat and good. And once everyone's clear," the Doctor used his sonic on the ambulance. "I've set this to self-destruct. History says there was an explosion. Who am I to argue with history?"

Rose laughed. "Usually the first in line."

The Doctor was too happy to get grumpy at Rose's snark. "Now, back to the TARDIS."

OoOoOoO

The walk back to the time ship was short and, soon, they were back inside the bigger-on-the-inside beauty. It hummed under Elm's fingers as she placed a hand on the console, and she sighed at the sensation.

"Nanogenes will clean up the rest of their mess and switch off, as I told them to," the Doctor rambled. "Nancy and Jamie will go to Constantine for help. All things considered, fantastic!"

"All wrapped up in a neat bow, 'cept one thing," Elm said as she sat on the console seat.

He spun to face her. "What? What'd I miss?"

"What about Jack?" Rose questioned.

The Doctor made a face and waved a hand in the air. Light on his feet, he flipped a few switches on the console. The time ship hummed and wheezed with movement.

And then, music turned on.

It was Moonlight Serenade.

"Rose, get the doors," the Doctor called before turning to Elm. "I owe you a dance."

"But Jack-" Elm started. Before she could finish her thought, the Doctor pulled her into a simple waltz. "Doc, as happy I am to dance with you, what about Jack?"

"Glad to see I was missed," a familiar voice said. Elm looked over the Doctor's shoulder and, standing in the entrance of the TARDIS, was Captain Jack Harkness. He was hugging Rose and nodded at the Doctor. "Nice ship. You were right, Elm, it's much bigger on the inside."

"Shut the door, will you?" the Doctor called out. "Yours is about to blow up and there'll be a draft."

Jack was quick to do so, and the Doctor adjusted the console with a hand.

Moonlight Serenade soon ended, the waltzing music replaced by an upbeat swing. Elm held a hand to the Doctor. "Can you swing, Doc?"

"Can I swing?" the Doctor questioned. He grabbed Elm's hand and spun her around.

Jack, who had been dancing with Rose, brought himself and his partner closer and winked at the Doctor. "Switch?"

Elm grinned, spun out of the Doctor's arms and grabbed Rose. She led her friend in a simple swing dance. "Thanks."

"Not exactly what I meant," Jack replied before stepping up to the Doctor. "But this works too."

Rose laughed, and the Doctor didn't object beyond a slight scowl.

OoOoOoO

The Doctor was the first to leave the makeshift dance floor, saying something about having to fix the phone. Next down was Rose, who wanted a soak in the tub. That left Elm and Jack, who danced for a few songs before being ready to tuck in for the night. The music turned off automatically.

"So, am I bunking with you?" Jack questioned with a wink.

Elm chuckled. "As nice as that would be, I think the TARDIS would be offended if you didn't make use of your room."

"My room?"

She didn't bother to respond, instead leading them down the hall. She had been walking aimlessly when she spotted a familiar door next to a new one. Her door, of course, was wooden. The new one was metal. It was a gleaming, silver metal door held together by welded steel and bolts. 'Captain Jack Harkness' was painted in royal blue paint at eye level.

Jack was clearly impressed.

"You gonna go in?" Elm questioned.

"When did the Doc have time to set this up?" Jack asked, hand moving to trace his name.

Elm shrugged. "As I said, the TARDIS made it for you. Not the Doctor." She yawned. "I'm beat. You gonna be alright on your own?"

"Yeah," Jack said after a moment. "I think so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the wait!

**Author's Note:**

> Professor What? Book One will follow seasons 1-9 of NuWho. While most chapters will be taken from the show, there will be the occasional interlude or original adventure. I have tried my best to make Elm a believable character and I will abstain from having her take lines/actions from other characters as much as possible. Credit and thanks to http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/ for the transcripts.


End file.
